When Avalon McRae went on her first date with professional rugby league player Jack Gosiewski, she was quickly enamoured. Yes, with Jack, to be sure – but he wasn’t the only bloke vying for Avalon’s affections that evening. 

As the couple’s romance began to blossom, so too did a burgeoning enchantment with Charlie – as in Chargrill Charlie’s, the storied roast-chook shop from which the couple had picked up a first-date feed earlier. That night, Avalon fell head over heels twice – first with Jack, and then with Charlie’s home-style eats.

“I remember being on our date and thinking these are the best chips I’ve ever eaten – the salt was just something else,” recalls Avalon with a laugh. “I know it sounds like I’m shamelessly plugging it, but I do remember that being a pretty memorable part of it, in addition to the date itself.”

Avalon’s fondness for Chargrill Charlie’s was no flash-in-the-pan affair – it developed into a shared obsession for the then Sydney-based couple, with a Charlie’s visit becoming a weekly ritual up until Jack and Avalon moved to Brisbane. It was here that their romance with Chargrill Charlie’s turned into a long-distance relationship, as the famed chicken brand – founded in Coogee back in 1989 – only operated in New South Wales and Victoria.

But Avalon was determined to change that, even if it meant opening a Chargrill Charlie’s franchise of her own.

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“It’s funny, because I actually said to Jack when we lived in Sydney that one of these would be so good to own one day,” says Avalon. “New Farm really looks and feels like Rose Bay, and there’s nothing else like [Chargrill Charlie’s] here in Brisbane. I had a look to see if they were franchising yet – just to enquire and see what it’s all about. And then 11 months later, here we are.”

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On Saturday June 28, Avalon and Jack opened Queensland’s first Chargrill Charlie’s location on Merthyr Road in New Farm. Locals turned out in droves to have a stickybeak, with a line of chook cravers snaking its way from the brightly lit interior to the street. 

Though the concept of charcoal chicken shops isn’t foreign to Brisbane foodies, Chargrill Charlie’s is a brand that is still largely unfamiliar to Queenslanders. Down south, Charlie’s has achieved a vaunted status, with more than 20 spread locations across Sydney and Melbourne, and a fanbase that includes the likes of Nigella Lawson, Justin Bieber, Oprah Winfrey, Chris Hemsworth, Nicole Kidman and Russel Crowe.

And while Avalon agrees that Chargrill Charlie’s has a cool profile, she tells us that its true magical element is its broad community appeal. 

“I think it really comes back to the fact that it is owned by real people,” says Avalon. “Every single one is owned by a member of the community, which gives it that really nice family feel to it. I’m definitely excited about that, being in New Farm as well.”

Anchoring the offering at Chargrill Charlie’s in New Farm is, as one might expect, chicken. Here, a patented state-of-the-art ‘clean’ rotisserie – an emission-free grilling system that gives its chicken a tasty char without any nasty carcinogens. Available in traditional seasoned or brush-basted in a punchy Portuguese-inspired coating, these succulent roasted chickens are the heart of the menu. But there’s much, much more on offer that will surprise a few visitors.

“When I’ve been talking to people on the street, they’re like, ‘Oh, so it’s chicken?’, but it’s honestly so much more than just chicken,” says Avalon. “What really makes people want to come back to Charlie’s is the variety. Every single day, in every single Charlie’s – not just mine – the menu changes and the offerings are different.”

A salad bar is perpetually packed with a selection of up to 15 salads and baked vegetables, all made from fresh ingredients. Then there’s a range of burgers and rolls (filled with range-reared chicken and grass-fed beef) and a suite of sides – we’re talking everything from crispy golden chips to fried rice, mac ‘n’ cheese, pad Thai, and hot ‘n’ spicy chicken wings. There’s even a selection of desserts if you’ve got a sweet tooth.

All of the above is incorporated into Chargrill Charlie’s dinner packs – meals that can feed a famished individual or a hungry horde. With a nourishing lean and a broad selection, it’s no surprise that Chargrill Charlie’s has grown to be as popular as it is.

“I bought into this because I believe in how the food is made,” Avalon tells us. “It’s made fresh every single day. If you don’t feel like cooking dinner, you don’t want to spend a bomb and you also want to eat healthy, it definitely ticks all of those boxes.”

Though built to quickly service a takeaway crowd, Chargrill Charlie’s New Farm is equipped with 44 seats (plus proper cutlery and dinnerware), meaning guests can sit down and devour their feed in house. But, if you ask Avalon, a couple of takeaway meal packs enjoyed near the Brisbane River in New Farm Park might just be the best way to enjoy Chargrill Charlie’s – especially if you’ve got a date lined up.