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The Food Guys Podcast
Influencers Complaining About Free Food? The Truth About Australia’s First Bubba Gump Restaurant Opening!
Season 6, Ep. 15
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The Food Guys are live from Brisbane after travelling from Melbourne for the opening event of Australia’s first Bubba Gump Shrimp Co restaurant in Sandgate.
As longtime fans of the iconic Forrest Gump-themed American chain, Dub and Nectro arrived excited to show Australians what makes Bubba Gump special!
Unfortunately, they left disappointed by a launch event that felt confusing, under-explained and almost impossible to properly showcase.
In this episode, the boys unpack the lack of a proper welcome, event rundown, menus and signature dishes, along with the mysterious second area they only discovered existed after they had already left. They also explain why their disappointment had nothing to do with demanding free food, it was about travelling interstate to create content and not being given the opportunity to experience what the restaurant actually offers.
There were still positives, including the impressive fit-out, fresh Australian seafood, mac and cheese, coconut shrimp, hush puppies and key lime pie. The boys also defend the young staff, arguing that many of the problems appeared to come from a lack of direction rather than the people serving the food.
The conversation then opens into influencer honesty, accusations of undisclosed paid content, why creators often avoid posting negative experiences and what international restaurant chains need to do differently when launching in Australia.
Despite the disappointing event, the boys still love the Bubba Gump brand, believe the restaurant could be a major win for Brisbane and genuinely want it to succeed.
Thanks to Royal Stacks for sponsoring the podcast, when in Melbourne. Get your burgers today!
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