A lot has changed in the last 40 years. In 1986 Australians had dial telephones, three commercial TV networks, and dined on meat and three veg, apricot chicken and a deep-fried chiko roll.

But change was coming; 1986 was also the year Portuguese-born Antonio Cerqueira introduced Sydney to the delights and flavours of flame-grilled chicken.

When he opened his first restaurant under the banner Portuguese-Style Bondi Charcoal Chicken, the locals quickly adopted the churrasco chicken served with spicy piri-piri chilli sauce.

In time, the brand became Oporto and the birthplace of the Bondi Burger, popular with beachgoers and lifeguards alike. 

Today the Bondi Burger, alongside the original oil-based chilli sauce made with fresh chillies, garlic, lemon and ginger, remains a star performer.

Flame-grilled chicken to an iconic burger

Oporto CEO Therese Frangie says “That’s one of the changes over the last 40 years; we started as a chicken-on-the-bone brand, and it’s really evolved into more of a burger brand.

“Now we are reigniting the original flavours of the chicken within our iconic Bondi Burger. Everybody sells chicken and burgers, but ours are different. 

“Our cooking methods are simple, they’re clean, they’re easy. We’ve really brought in the Portuguese flavours and the Portuguese way of cooking that consumers have resonated with.”

Now more than ever, consumers are open to trying different cultural cuisines, she believes.  

“We can see it with the success of Lebanese chain El Jannah; we can see it with Guzman Y Gomez really owning Mexican.

“I think one of the great things about Oporto is that we are the largest Portuguese QSR in Australia and we are absolutely thriving with potential in a time where consumers are looking for different tastes. It’s our number one driver of purchase. That’s why people come to us – they love the taste.

“What you’re going to see from the brand in the coming 12 months is we’re going to dial up our flame-grilled chicken again because we have such a good offering that Australian consumers have forgotten about,” Therese says.

Building on the legacy

In celebrating the brand’s heritage, it is important to convey the quality of the food, she adds. A soft, toasted burger bun, an egg mayo, the original chill sauce – all these are essentials to the brand profile.

Returning to the fundamentals that forged Oporto’s reputation is one part of the picture; the other is to keep innovating while remaining true to the brand’s spirit.

So how do you keep a 40-year-old fast food brand young and exciting?

In part it’s about tapping into the healthier eating trend, and talking about flame grilled chicken or the marinated, 100 per cent chicken breast that is grilled, not fried.

It’s also about having a bit of fun. Think mozzarella sticks or loaded chips.

Then there’s the new Oporto Long Roll – flame-grilled chicken that’s hand pulled in restaurants by the team – topped with original chilli sauce.

“When you taste that, we are taking our customers on the journey of a European summer. So, if you can’t make it to Portugal and you can’t enjoy your Euro summer this year, come and have a bite of our Porto Long Roll where you’re getting all those Portuguese flavours in one,” Therese says.

Innovation to tempt new customers

New product development and limited time offers deliver novelty to customers, and provide fresh opportunities to tempt new customers. 

“It allows us to talk to our quality credentials and bring on new customers who aren’t quite familiar with the Bondi Burger. And that’s an intro to the brand as well,” Therese says.

The Sydney-born brand is legendary in New South Wales, but levels of awareness vary interstate, she says. 

So as the brand builds up its presence across Australia there will be more of a focus on driving core messages and talking to the brand’s quality credentials.

“There will be brand moments where we celebrate and might give away free food or $5 Bondi Burgers. Those brand moments allow customers who are a little bit hesitant or new to the brand to come in and trial our product,” Therese says.

Consumer research has shown Oporto that tempting consumers with new products is a reliable way to develop returning customers.

The stores set the scene. The striking black decor we are familiar with has given the brand a premium look – now it’s time to charge up the passion, Therese says. 

The flavours and passion of Portugal

“You’ve got to tell a story with your design and your layout. What you’re going to see in the next three to six months is colours that really remind you of that essence and passion of Portugal. So, you’re going to see more of our orange and lots more colour.

“When it comes to each of our store locations, what we really encourage our teams to do is to bring that Portuguese hospitality,” Therese says.

It’s the flavour of Portugal, from the food to the welcome, that Antonio brought to Sydney all those years ago. His vision and passion created the business that’s been built over the decades by loyal franchisees.

The business that has grown from a single store in Australia’s iconic beachside suburb to more than 210 stores across the east coast and into New Zealand and Dubai.

“We are Australia’s largest Portuguese QSR. One of the greatest advantages at Oporto is that we operate in a whole range of formats. So currently we have food courts, we have shopfronts, we have drive-thrus, we have airport sites, we have a small format store. 

“We can grow in many formats, which is really going to allow us to leverage the brand to its full potential,” Therese says.