Grant helps re-establish popular burger bar

Shane Keogh-Cope, Manger of Burgers & Beer Inc, at their new premises in Sydenham, Christchurch. Photo / Simon Baker

When the first big earthquake struck and wrecked the home of his gourmet burger bar, Andrew Brown found the will to start again.

The second time it happened, it was nearly too much to take.

"It was almost getting into the too hard basket," the hotel executive chef and entrepreneur told the Herald.

"There were definitely times there where we thought 'do we just let it go?"'

Burgers & Beers Inc, which Mr Brown co-owns with business partner Tama Haas, has now found a new home in Christchurch with the help of a $16,268 grant from the Canterbury Business Recovery Trust.

The trust has paid out $3.7 million to help businesses recover from the quakes.

Mr Brown said customers had stuck by Burgers & Beers - named by Lonely Planet as one of the things to do in Christchurch - and the business was sticking by Christchurch, however uncertain the city's future might be.

"The bottom line for me is that character comes in the shape of buildings, but also comes in the shape of people.

"People make those businesses at the end of the day. Other than that it's all just bricks and mortar, really."

Burgers & Beers had developed a strong following in its central Christchurch location on High St when the magnitude 7.1 quake struck in September 2010.

The business was forced to move out and the badly damaged premises had to be demolished.

It was able to find a temporary new home sharing premises with a central city bar, and a new building back on High St was lined up for a fresh start.

Then came the killer quake in February last year "and that was it for that building, and pretty much for High St".

Despite the uncertainty about how Christchurch will look in future, and whether the devastated central city will return to what it was, Mr Brown senses there is positivity among businesses.

"I really think that those who have decided to continue their businesses and continue their brands, they are definitely positive about what the next 12 months is going to hold and onwards."