Royal Stacks has taken the humble burger to great heights in Melbourne. It’s a brand that has scored not just one but three sites at the iconic MCG and is now taking its magic mix of delicious flavours, fun vibes and friendly service to the Crown Casino, fronting the popular Southbank restaurant strip.

These high profile locations, and a strong footprint of flagship restaurants in the CBD, reflect the reputation the brand now has in the Melbourne market.

Nick Campese, general manager, says exposure at the MCG has played a big role in brand awareness.

“That opened up opportunities for us, and major iconic venues are now seeing us as a top option for their customers,” Nick says.

It’s been a well-planned strategy to create demand in the city from office workers and sports fans who have become loyal customers. Now the plan is to tap into that loyalty and spread the Royal Stacks footprint further afield.

Royal Stacks launches in the suburbs

Royal Stacks launched its suburban growth with a restaurant in Spotswood; it has just opened in Croydon, and this site is the first to offer frozen yogurt on the menu.

“Now we have a fantastic dessert offering that complements our premium burgers. Our customers come for the cool vibe and a great feed, and now they can treat themselves to fro-yo with toppings to complete the meal,” Nick says.

“We’ve already had a great customer response to this exciting new menu category,” he adds.

With Croydon kickstarting the suburban expansion, there are two more out-of-town locations set to open in the next three months: Moonee Ponds and Malvern. 

Victorian expansion

“The brand is gaining momentum,” says franchise development manager Theo Tsianakas. “We are getting a lot of interest in the brand from prospective franchise partners.”

In fact, the team at Royal Stacks has an ambitious goal for Victoria – to reach a 50-restaurant footprint by 2030.

“We’re really ramping it up,” Theo says. “We want to build a strong foundation here, then grow interstate, and then take the brand international.”

Taking Royal Stacks to Melbourne’s outer suburbs and regional cities first ensures a measured approach that means the franchise team can support its franchisees as it grows.

Suburban and regional growth will introduce the brand to new customers, and deliver a favourite eating experience to families who know the brand from visits to the city.

Nick says “We want to share our great brand with families. We’ve built our business on office workers commuting to Melbourne and sports fans trying the food at the MCG; now we’re getting requests for restaurants in the suburbs because these customers want to take their kids out and eat at Royal Stacks in their neighbourhood,” he says.

Fresh opportunities beyond metro Melbourne

An exciting development in Epping is already primed for a Royal Stacks restaurant, ideal for a keen franchise buyer who is ready to be hands-on and driving the operation.

Royal Stacks has its sights set on Frankston and Craigieburn, too, as well as big growth corridor suburbs such as Werribee and Hoppers Crossing.

The brand has connected with local real estate agents and developers who are actively looking for sites to suit this premium burger chain.

It’s a brand that already adapts to different locations in metro areas; some sites are freestanding, some in shopping strips, and it will take the same approach to suburban and regional development.

“We expect sites in Ballarat and Bendigo, for instance, to have a larger footprint so they can properly service the community,” Theo says.

Developing a multi-unit plan

And in regional cities the first restaurant could be the gateway to multi-unit ownership, Nick suggests.

“We want one restaurant for every 34,000 people, so in Ballarat with a population of 120,000 we expect to have three restaurants. For the right franchise buyer a five-year plan could become a multi-unit plan,” Nick says.  

Some metro-based franchisees are already opening second locations, he points out.

It’s an exciting time to be joining the franchise chain as it embarks on its next expansion stage.

“While we implement our regional growth plan, we continue to infiltrate iconic venues across Melbourne,” Nick says. 

Premium locations, premium product

The new Crown location, previously the Merrywell site, is just opposite Melbourne’s Convention and Exhibition Centre. It will draw international visitors, convention and expo delegates, tourists and regular city goers, and boost the brand’s exposure even further.

And the hot new Royal Stacks location is a perfect dining spot for visitors to the Melbourne Franchising Expo on 30 and 31 August.