Grill'd Menu Prices (AU)

As of 2019, Subway has opened 42,998 stores around the world. This makes it the biggest fast food chain in the world by number of stores. However, despite its widespread popularity, it’s still struggling to survive in the Land Down Under. The same thing is said about other popular chains in the US that tried their luck in Oz like Krispy Kreme, and TGI Fridays among others.

Like in many parts of the globe, however, McDonald’s and KFC are available in Australia. They’re doing quite well, in fact, and are the top performing chains in the country.

So why doesn’t it feel like the local market is as saturated with international brands like in other countries, you ask? Well, because it’s not. There are three factors that can explain this phenomenon:

Australia’s location

As you would know, Australia is practically situated on the edge of the world. This makes transporting imported supplies rather costly. Sure, they can look for local suppliers instead but that can take a while and does not ensure consistency in taste and quality, so it’s a major challenge.

Australia’s labor costs

Australia has one of the highest minimum wages in the world so doing business here can be tricky for brands that profit by taking advantage of low labor costs. Since that is the case with most international fast food chains, they end up struggling as they deem their costs to be too high.

The local conditions

The local palate and competition are two determining factors that make Australia a non-priority for lots of international brands. Aussies tend to prefer their local brands as they better suit their taste. As there’s also a significant amount of competition that offers a wide range of options, it’s getting harder and harder for foreign brands to make a breakthrough.

While McDonald’s is still the number one fast food brand in the country, the growth of Grill’d is definitely notable. Established in 2004, this chain is rapidly expanding and even causing problems for Macca’s when a Grill’d location opens near one of their stores.

Offering gourmet burgers with fresh ingredients, Grill’d managed to capture the market by providing better products. As lots of locals are already willing to spend a bit more on food just so they can ensure that what they’re having is healthier and tastier, Grill’d menu prices don’t really faze its clientele.

With these, it can really be said that the fast food game of Australia is a bit different from the rest of the world’s. So if you’re visiting any time soon, expect to find more local brands than the ones you’re familiar with if you’re from other parts.