Aussie fast food behemoth ‘beefs’ up its menu with first major change in half a decade
Popular Aussie chain Guzman y Gomez has pulled out all the stops for its biggest menu launch yet, introducing a permanent new filling that “took two years to perfect.”
The Mexican-inspired fast food giant has officially launched the BBQ Beef Rib nationwide, marking its first new item since celebrating the 20-year anniversary of its inaugural Sydney site this year.
Popular Aussie food chain Guzman Y Gomez has introduced the first new item in five years. Guzman Y Gomez
Five years on from their last menu update, GYG has promised Aussie fast food enthusiasts that their latest addition will be well worth the wait.
The beef rib is described as having a deep golden, lightly charred crust and crisp edges, topped with GYG’s signature Chipotle BBQ Sauce for a “rich, sweet, smoky flavour, charred in-restaurant.”
Coming in mini or large sizes and with the BBQ sauce either on or off, the short rib selection is still fully customisable and can be added to any lunch or dinner item.
GYG Founder and Co-CEO Steven Marks did not ‘mince’ words when discussing the addition, calling it the “biggest launch” the business had ever done.
“And we’re not slowing down,” Marks added, explaining they’d waited five long years to add a new filling because it “had to be right.”
The 100 per cent Aussie beef addition remains in line with the business’ staunch ‘clean eating’ ethos, meaning it – like the rest of the menu – is free from added preservatives, artificial flavours, added colours and specific “unacceptable” additives.
However, “clean” does not necessarily mean GYG is low-calorie or low-sodium, nor suitable to eat as traditional diet food.
"We started GYG 20 years ago to reinvent fast food, and this is the next chapter,” Marks said of the new item.
Award-winning chef Nate Appleman led the culinary team responsible for the BBQ beef rib addition. Guzman Y Gomez
To usher in this chapter, GYG Director of Culinary Nate Appleman – an award-winning chef originally trained in Italy – led their team on a two-year mission to find the ultimate new cut of beef.
The cut in question later turned out to be an emerging dinner staple – chuck short rib.
Chuck beef is seeing a significant boom in popularity across Australia of late, largely driven by surging cost-of-living pressures.
With premium cuts like eye fillet and scotch fillet soaring past around 60 dollars a kilo – and even reliable budget options like rump steak now crossing the 30 dollar mark – Aussie shoppers are flocking to chuck as a budget-friendly substitute.
The cut is perfectly suited to the hands-off ‘low and slow’ method, where tougher cuts are tenderised on a low heat for an extended period.
Chuck short rib is the cut of choice. Guzman Y Gomez
“It's the cut a butcher keeps for themselves. Deep, rich, juicy. Beef like this belongs on everything on our menu,” Appleman said of the budget cut.
According to him, the culinary team spent roughly 12 months locking down the new item’s exact cut and flavor profile, using simple seasoning simply to let the natural meat flavor shine.
"One bite, and we knew it was the one," Appleman said.
For those looking for a customised recommendation straight from the horse’s mouth, Appleman's personal top pick is the Cali Burrito, with the tender rib and Chipotle BBQ married with guacamole and pico de gallo.
This latest menu change comes at a trying time for the business, with GYG’s move to crack into the American fast food market dead in the water.
The chain struggled to compete against well-established American fast-food giants like Chipotle and Taco Bell, with the resulting weak sales meaning its US locations were failing to get off the ground.
Analysts estimated the US business wouldn’t break even until around 2037, a massive financial drag on the broader company.
The subsequent withdrawal from the US market resulted in a $67.3 million hit to GYG’s financials, which in turn contributed to a $26.7 million loss for the full year.
“I have always been confident in the differentiation of our food and guest experience; however, this was not translating to an improvement in sales momentum,” Marks said in a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) at the time.
Following the end of their American dream, GYG announced they’d be setting their sights on goals a little closer to home – taking a “disciplined approach” to opening 1000 stores across Australia to go toe-to-toe with the likes of McDonald’s.
The BBQ Beef Rib is available now across all stores, with pricing sitting at an extra $2.50 on a regular, $1.30 on a mini, and $0.80 on a taco.
