“NBCB” these days doesn’t just refer to a certain Hokkien swear phrase, it also means “Nothing but cheeseburger, A home-based cheeseburger business started by insurance manager Tommy Wong, 35.
The self-taught home cook was inspired to make your own cheeseburgers from scratch when his wife Janice – who is currently expecting their second child – asked burgers to satisfy her pregnancy cravings. Tommy’s burgers, with homemade grilled beef patties, went so well that Janice suggested he sell them as an accessory.
Business “from the roof”
When 8days.sg first reported on NBCB Last November, Tommy (pictured above with his wife) had just started a booming business, cooking on Fridays and Saturdays. But its sales have since “skyrocketed,” he says.
Business has been so successful that he has decided to set up his own stand-alone restaurant in Orchard Central, a 30-seat “casual and family-friendly” restaurant that is slated to open next month. “I had planned to open a store because my wife gives birth in February, and every time I cook, the whole house smells of smoke – it’s impossible to do it at home,” Tommy shares.
He also notes that “burgers don’t travel as well as other foods, so it’s a shame that most of my customers don’t get the chance to taste them straight away.”
He takes over Omakase Burger
Tommy hired a real estate agent to search for a store location and was recently introduced by chance to a unit. vacated by Omakase Burger in the central orchard. Prior to that it had been turned down by “a lot of owners” to be, well, NBCB. “They rejected our name. Far Eastern shopping centers [which owns Orchard Central] was a good sport to leave us [rent a unit] in their shopping center despite our name, ”he laughs.
Localized menu
Even though NBCB means “nothing but cheeseburger”, Tommy believes that “Aiyah, burger can’t do much. I’m not a professional chef so I can’t create a [wide range of menu options], but so far I know Singaporeans love food that is familiar to them, so I try to make things local. That’s why it’s expanding its menu to include popular Singaporean choices such as ‘Milo Dinosaur and’ ring ring ‘ice cream sold from a motorcycle.’
When it comes to burgers, Tommy says he plans to sell his current single-patty cheeseburger repertoire. CB ($ 11.90 for a 110g beef patty) and double pancake DCB ($ 15.90). It will also offer a meal plan “with fries or waffles and a soft drink”. For customers who don’t have beef, Tommy will also be offering a “new burger with a spicy fried chicken patty that looks like a local favorite” (anyone guessing this is a McSpicy type burger? )
The NBCB opens around February 2022 at # 04-23 Orchard Central, S238896.
Pictures: NBCB
