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You may recall a story about a man in Singapore who started making his own cheeseburgers because his then-unvaccinated pregnant wife was craving for nothing but a cheeseburger.
The wife loved his home-made cheeseburgers so much that she encouraged him to start a home-based business called "Nothing But Cheeseburger" (NBCB) so that others can enjoy his creation.
The 35-year-old Singaporean man named Tommy Wong took his passion and business to the next level and recently opened an outlet at Orchard Central Level 4.
Photo by Zheng Zhangxin.
Success in home-based business
Wong's cheeseburgers were so popular that his kitchen exhaust at home broke down thrice since he started the home-based business on weekends late last year.
Wong, who was a full-time insurance manager, could only make cheeseburgers on weekends.
The stove would be turned on from 10am to 6pm as he prepared the orders while his sister-in-law and wife helped to pack the burgers for pick-ups.
The whole house would be covered with a layer of grease by the end of Saturday and they would engage someone to clean up the entire house on Sunday.
At his peak, he was able to sell close to 300 burgers in a day, Wong shared with Mothership.
"But that was quite some time back," Wong humbly added.
"End of the day, my exhaust also spoil, my stove also spoil. Whatever profit I had right, it all went back to [replacing] these items," Wong said.
Now comes with chicken burgers
Now at the outlet in Orchard Central, NBCB does not only sell cheeseburgers, but also offers other items.
While that may sound ironic, Wong explained that he had received queries about other types of protein or patties when he was doing the home-based business.
This is why the menu now includes a chicken burger.
Photo by Zheng Zhangxin.
Wong explained that he has a recipe for the chicken burger, but he wasn't able to cope with the sale of more types of burgers when it was a home-based business.
The cheeseburgers served up at the outlet are not quite the same as before either.
Wong said that he revised the taste of the cheeseburger patty again. With economies of scale, he is now able to request for a NBCB customised patty from his suppliers.
He hopes to improve the standard of the burgers even more, but the quality of the burgers you order at the outlet sets the bar.
Photo by NBCB.
Photo by NBCB.
Photo of the menu by Zheng Zhangxin.
Beyond serving up good burgers
Serving up simple and delicious cheeseburgers, however, is not the ultimate goal for Wong.
He and his partners hope to establish NBCB as a recognisable, made-in-Singapore brand.
All his crew are Singaporeans, and the suppliers he works with now are also Singaporeans or Singaporean brands, Wong told Mothership.
Photo by NBCB.
Wong shared that his current crew consists of experienced chefs with years of experience in the food and beverage (F&B) industry.
What won them over to work at NBCB was his commitment to provide decent pay, working hours, a supportive work environment and career progression.
Ultimately, NBCB is a passion project for Wong to create a better work culture for those in the F&B industry.
So, he shared the recipe for his cheeseburgers unreservedly with his chefs.
"I trust you with my recipe and you trust me with your career, and hopefully everything will pan out well," Wong said.
Photo by Lim Wei Xiang.
More details about NBCB
Where: Orchard Central #04-23
Opening hours: 11am - 3pm and 5pm - 9pm, daily
(For a start, the outlet is limiting to a daily quantity of 200 patties to ensure good quality. The outlet may close earlier if patties run out.)
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