Burger Urge owners Greg and Nicole Dean took a gamble when they opened the Mann Central store in Wodonga.
It paid off and now the burger franchise is a popular food choice for many on the border.
“We were actively looking around and Albury was always the plan but Wodonga showed so much growth and development,” Mr Dean said.
“We couldn’t go past this great, central location in Wodonga and it’s the best decision we ever made.”
Mr Dean recalled being open just eight weeks before COVID struck.
“We did takeaway only and throughout the lockdowns we managed to stay open the entire time,” he said.
“As a business we had to adapt and implement an ordering system and a delivery service and that’s what got us through the pandemic.
“Wodonga Council also reached out to us at the time and provided support which was greatly appreciated.”
The restaurant on the corner of High St and Elgin Boulevard is popular for its range of gourmet burgers and chips served with bacon, cheese sauce and shallots, known as dirty fries.
The restaurant’s dirty fries recently won Best Supporting Dish in the 10th anniversary of Menulog’s annual restaurant awards.
The awards, known as The Menulogies, reveals the food trends for the year and ‘the best’ takeaway restaurants in Australia.
Menulog data across Australia determined the winners of the 2021 Trending Awards and the categories.
Mr Dean was not surprised that the dirty fries were such a popular pick.
“We are talking bacon, cheese and shallots – it is comfort food at its finest,” he said.
Burger Urge currently employs 25 staff and the restaurant’s popularity has Mr Dean looking to expand down the track.