Broadway is the top pick for hot chips
Last month we asked the community to nominate their favourite place to buy hot chips. By popular vote our top hot chip eatery is Broadway Burger Bar.
Steve and Maria Hamilton know what makes a great hot chip. And so they should after quarter of a century in the hospitality industry.
The couple bought Broadway Burger Bar 26 years ago, six years after they married. Although they say they never intended to buy a burger bar, they simply wouldn’t have it any other way.
‘‘We both had jobs, but decided to have a go at our own business,’’ says Steve. ‘‘This was for sale and I was a customer here. It wasn’t our plan to stay for 26 years.
‘‘I love what I do, it’s my own business. I just love cooking. We have been here a long time and people know us, which sets us apart. We work hard and we always try to get it right for everybody.’’
After 26 years they have certainly seen the landscape change, from the early days of the movie theatre and D.E.K.A, followed by the big American eateries.
‘‘KFC came first, and then they just kept coming,’’ he says.
Steve says he remembers the first 10 years very well. The young couple worked until 4am, when the bar next door (now a vacant lot) would close.
‘‘The bar next door used to shut at 3am, so from 3-4am we would be frantic. The hours are fairly easy now.’’
‘‘We work hard and we always try to get it right for everybody.’’
He says the introduction of Hobbiton really changed the town and brought in visitors from all over the world, many of whom they meet.
Maria says it’s the consistency that makes their service so great. They have three hard working girls on the team and they retain their staff.
‘‘A lot of people know the staff, and people like that personal touch. Consistency is what makes us work.’’
So what makes their chippies the best?
‘‘We cook in a high grade beef fat which keeps those chips crisp, and we drain them well - a recent test showed the fat content was quite low,’’ said Maria.
‘‘People like them over-done, underdone, salty, no salt, or well drained. Anything they want, however they want it cooked, we will do it. We are very flexible, we cater to everyone.’’