The Grill’d recipe: Young workers, low wages and plenty of spin

Grill’d burger chain founder Simon Crowe sees himself as a good bloke. Sure, he’s a Business Review Weekly young rich lister, worth $23 million by the age of 40, but Crowe is so much more than that. He’s a pioneer, bravely charging more for a burger than Ronald McDonald ever dreamed possible.

“Our job is to walk the path less travelled”, he once said of his company’s business philosophy. While everyone else “zigs”, Grill’d “zags”, according to its website.

Crowe doesn’t merely sell over-priced burgers; he “gives customers permission to shop the category of burgers in a guilt-free, healthy and contemporary fashion”, according to an interview with BRW. Thanks, Sime.

Since 2004, when he opened his first Grill’d shopfront in Hawthorn, a Melbourne suburb, Crowe has grown his business to nearly 100 stores nationally. The Australian has called him a “rebel”, and BRW describes his brand as “an irreverent challenger to authority and dominance”.

Not only does this fast food freedom fighter want to provide his customers with the freshest and healthiest food in a “cool environment”; Crowe also wants to “give back” to the community. One of things that makes Grill’d different, one of it’s “zags”, is its “local matters” campaign – where restaurants split $500 between three local charities each month.

Last month it was reported that a Brisbane Grill’d outlet decided to give back to anti-abortion group Cherish Life. After a backlash on social media, Crowe claimed it was all a big mistake and assured us the company was pro-choice.

However, it’s the recent sacking of 20-year-old Kahlani Pyrah from the Grill’d Camberwell franchise that has most exposed the darker side of the company’s carefully constructed ethical image. Kahlani and her workmates realised they were being paid below the award; some weren’t even getting minimum wage. They spoke up, and Kahlani was pushed out the door.

When Crowe got around to fronting up publicly about the scandal that followed, he claimed, “We’ve got a wonderful relationship with our staff”, a way of “making our burgers with love”. He admitted that it’s been “a difficult situation”, though. What’s been difficult is the outpouring of anger on social media and the petition signed by more then 20,000 in support of Kahlani and decent wages.

Despite concerted attacks on penalty rates, a majority still think that workers in hospitality and other industries with anti-social hours should be paid fairly. Not the irreverent guys at Grill’d though. Where others “zig” they “zag”.

Kahlani’s bosses at the Camberwell franchise of Grill’d, brothers Matt and Brad Walker, are no doubt also finding the damage done to their brand “difficult”. The winners of a number of awards in the Oscars-like Franchise Council of Australia Excellence in Franchising Awards, the Walkers tell us, “You need to be the brand”. To aspiring franchise investors, Matt advises: “Talk to people that work in the business and understand the ugly truths”. If those people tell you they’re not being paid properly – fire them. It’s the Grill’d way.