Grill'd is an Australian-owned multinational casual dining restaurant chain specialising in healthy burgers. Founded by Simon Crowe in 2004 in Hawthorn, Melbourne, the group now has over 150 restaurants.
History
The chain was originally founded after Crowe stated that he was frustrated by a lack of "decent burgers" in Australia and wanted an enticing, nutritious meal combined with the engaging service ethic he often encountered living in Milwaukee, United States while working for Fosters brewing company.
By 2006, two years after its founding, Grill'd had over 30 restaurants across Melbourne. In 2011, Grill'd launched its Local Matters program where each customer is provided a token per burger to vote for 1 of 3 restaurant-specific local community groups. At the end of each month, $500 per restaurant is donated among the three community groups, totalling over $750,000 each year in donations. As of September 2021, Grill'd have given over $6 million to over 30,000 local community groups, organisations, and projects.
Since 2010, all of the company's beef and lamb is grass-fed and free-range, and in 2016 all of their chicken became RSPCA Approved. In 2019 Grill'd launched Beyond Meat's plant-based meat-tasting pattie with a "Meat Free Day". In November 2021, Grill'd launched the Impossible Foods plant-based meat-tasting burgers.
Grill'd launched an Emu & Kangaroo burger The Coat of Arms in 2013, a rabbit burger Bunny Burger in 2017, and their Healthy Fried Chicken in 2020.
In 2019, Grill'd opened their first international restaurant, in Seminyak, Bali, Indonesia. The restaurant extended the company's Local Matters program internationally, supporting Seminyak's local community groups by sharing Rp2,500,000 with three local groups each month.
In May 2023, Grill'd opened its first halal-certified restaurant in Blacktown. The restaurant serves meat sourced from halal-certified suppliers, removes bacon from products and does not serve alcohol. In June 2023, Grill'd opened its first drive-through restaurant in Mount Ommaney.
Community and charity
The Grill'd Local Matters program started in 2011 as a way for each restaurant to support its own, local community groups. As of September 2021, the program had given back over $6,000,000 to local community groups, including over $120,000 to help tackle homelessness, and over $800,000 to health and disability groups. The program has supported over 30,000 community groups, organisations, and projects made up of local sports groups, youth organisations, educational services, animal welfare and environmental groups.
Grill'd was an early participant in Movember from 2006 to 2011, offering a free burger for anyone who grew a ‘Mo', and later became a major sponsor of Polished Man, gifting burgers to guests who donated to the cause.
Additionally, the Grill'd Relish membership program gives members a free burger after eight visits which they can take themselves, or give to those in need through the work of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, also known as Vinnies.
In 2019, with bushfires raging across Australia, Grill'd started a charity initiative on Instagram, donating 10c for every Like the post received to the Vinnies Bushfire relief.
Grill'd then extended their efforts, matching every ace Nick Kyrgios served at the Australian Open with $200 donated to the Vinnies Bushfire Relief. The company extended its efforts again in Feb 2020, donating $2 for every burger a Relish Member bought, and another $2 for every new member signed up, raising a total donation of $236,302 for Vinnies Bushfire Relief.
Product
Quality produce
Grill'd claims to have an Australian-first sourcing promise and works with the local farmers and suppliers to keep food miles low and ensure the freshest ingredients. Since 2010, all of the company's beef and lamb is grass-fed and free-range, and in 2016 all of their chicken became the RSPCA Approved and have used free-range eggs since their inception. The Grill'd food journey is described as being from ‘farm to fingers’ offering a range of higher welfare meat options along with vegetarian and vegan options, as well as catering menu options to other dietary preferences of flexitarianism, paleo, gluten-free and low-carb. In 2017, Grill'd partnered with the RSPCA to raise awareness about the suffering of hens confined to battery cages as part of the RSPCA's End the Battery Cage campaign.