Royal Oak, meet Varun.

Tell us your story, what’s your background?

I fell in love with NZ at the age of 8 years old on a holiday, and decided then and there that one day I would like to live in NZ permanently. My dream came true and I moved to NZ in 2007 from London and finished my Hospitality and Business Management Degree here. After that, I started working as a Barista and had a few odd jobs, then in 2012, after the Christchurch Earthquake, I made the move to Auckland and that’s when I went to BurgerFuel on Ponsonby Road and tried my luck. 

Finally, Paul Cusdin (still with the company today) called me for an interview, I turned up the next day at 7am, after being slightly late and slightly hungover, sweating after sprinting from town to Ponsonby, I still managed to score the job. From that moment on, I've never looked back.

What do you love about the Brand?

I LOVE the cars*, I love that it's full throttle and no matter what store you're in, or what part of the business you deal with, it has a fun fast and loud vibe.

*HQ can attest to Varun’s love for the cars, he's notoriously known for doing burnouts where he shouldn’t.

What do you enjoy the most about being part of your local community?

Having the means to support every part of the community is awesome, from looking after emergency services, to feeding the general public, giving locals jobs and supporting businesses around the store, all of it means I can be a part of the community and give back.

What’s your favourite BurgerFuel burger?

American Muscle with bacon, jalapeños and pineapple.

What is your best BurgerFuel hack?

Always add onion rings.

Do you own a machine? If so, what is it?

A 1971 Ford Ranchero. 

Random fact about yourself?

I use to play the drums and I love me some Drum & Bass.