FOOD AND DRINK
$
19bn
How do you disrupt a industry ? 4Fingers Crispy Chicken hopes to offer Australia ‘ good , honest fried chicken brimming with attitude ’
STEEN PUGGAARD DESCRIBES himself as a veteran in the food and beverage industry , a bold claim backed up by no less than 20 years of experience .
He has held senior roles in marketing and management across Europe and Asia Pacific , including at McDonald ’ s and Burger King as well as Michelin-starred Les Amis . In his current role as CEO of Singaporeborn franchise 4Fingers Crispy Chicken , he blends this knowledge to create a fast-casual dining experience that ’ s about just that : the experience . “ I ’ ve been lucky to work in traditional fast food as well as in the fine-dining end of the category ,” says Puggaard , “ and I ’ ve tried to cherry-pick the best of both worlds .”
4Fingers is a fast food chain that sees itself in a different league to McDonald ’ s or Burger King – though the franchise ’ s website does allude to taking on a certain Colonel . For Puggaard , 4Fingers is “ disruptive ”: it focuses on unique branding and customer experience – from music to interior design – and a healthy , sustainable , freshly prepared product that ’ s a far cry from a deflated drive-thru burger and fries .
According to IBIS , the Australian fast food industry is worth $ 19bn and it grew by 3.9 % from 2012-17 . It currently employs 153,332 people across 24,893 businesses in the country . Though tapping into this well-established industry as a new brand may be daunting , Puggaard
18 November 2017