Hashtag Burgers & Waffles has all the ingredients for success: a street vibe, brilliant food combos and robust behind-the-scenes processes. The fledgling burger chain born in Brisbane has garnered a following from Fortitude Valley to the suburbs and a reputation built on delicious food and a cool vibe.

Founder Matt Rollo says “I’m super proud. I had a vision to create a simple business model for people who love food to come in to and have the opportunity to create something amazing that they love.”

The experienced hospitality operator applied his passion for excellent food to the task of creating the best burgers, and he continues to raise the dial.

Food innovation underpins the brand’s success

“I like to try new things and look at certain trends. Right now the sandwich vibe is really big in Queensland, so we’ve jumped on the bandwagon and flipped our cheesy toast buns upside down, added sauce and patties to the cheesy side.”

Hot honey is another trend, adapted with chicken tenders flavoured with the Hashtag Burger version of hot honey.

“We get lots of inspiration from social media. Sometimes we do something crazy and fun to see how it goes. It’s exciting!” Matt says.

The brand’s influential croissant burger is returning to the menu, a double patty loaded with chilli jam and mayo. “It’s sensational: all that saltiness, sweetness and cheesiness!” Matt says.

It’s also strategic. Innovations are a drawcard for the stores, he explains.

The brand recently launched Make it a Meal combos: a lunch burger, chips and a drink for $18.50. It already offers a $10 lunch burger.

“We’ve got a very solid base with our menu. It’s costed well for our brand and includes all the staples for a successful burger store. When we go above and beyond with crazy specials, it brings new people in. 

“For instance, among a group of four customers, the one who saw the special on social media will try it, the other three will grab the standards,” he says. 

Matt reports social media can boost business by as much as 10 to 20 times. “We have more than 95,000 followers (over 100,000 across all platforms), thanks to our specials and the influencer effect,” he reveals.

While the consumers are munching down on the latest burger sensation, for franchisees it’s the back-end processes that enable them to operate to the highest standards.

Strong systems make operations easy

The complexities of running a restaurant are simplified through Hashtag Burgers’ processes, and the Restoke software that guides franchisees through basic operations.

The franchisor sets up the franchisees operationally, including order and stocktake days, open and closing systems.

“We help set up the processes for franchisees so they always know when to order items to maintain the right stock level for their restaurant,” Matt says. 

When it comes to sourcing ingredients, the hard work is done for the franchisees, he explains. Matt’s restaurant experience has enabled him to negotiate great pricing deals with suppliers who have supported him. Solid supplier relationships have paid off in other ways too: Hashtag Burgers was still serving chips when there was a global shortage four years ago.

“That’s my job: to have my finger on the pulse and to make sure product is available, at a good price,” he says.

“We’ve done all the thinking for franchisees. We decide whether a sauce goes on the top or bottom bun for the best flavour taste, so franchisees just have to follow the guide. All the complex elements like flours and sauces are made by us in our central kitchen, and shipped out to the stores,” Matt says.

“We provide franchisees with comprehensive training on how to make burgers and they use build cards to put together the latest creations.”

Training kickstarts a franchisee’s path

The training includes burger-build videos on the brand’s YouTube channel.

Hashtag Burgers has its own App, which hosts a points-based rewards system, and enables customers to order for delivery.

Matt has strategically chosen a white label delivery process to help avoid the big-name third-party delivery fees. 

“We have a minimum $25 order and the store and customer share the cost of the delivery fee. So the delivery cost percentage is less for customers and the stores than if they were using Uber Eats” Matt says.

While controlling the production of sauces and other key ingredients gives Hashtag Burgers the edge, there’s a fresh development on the horizon that will extend the brand’s reach. Matt is introducing a distributor who can take the Hashtag products interstate.

This enables the brand to open up new opportunities for food-loving franchisees, and initial targets are New South Wales and Victoria.

A cool vibe is an essential ingredient for the Hashtag Burgers brand, and the scene is set with the store design and in-store music – there’s a playlist but ultimately the choice is venue dependent. There’s a completely different demographic in the Valley, where R&B and hip hop suits the customer profile, to the suburbs, Matt explains.

And when it comes to the stores, the standard items – bricks, tables and a neon sign – form the basis for what then becomes a more customised design.

“We give stores freedom with their artwork. That’s where franchisees’ flair comes in, that’s the fun. It’s great to tell franchisees ‘I want you to decorate however you want, within boundaries’; that’s the vibe,” Matt says.