BIG RUSS BURGER: For 27 years Russ Franklin has been sending customers away with his favourite burgers. The burger he named after himself is loaded with steak, chips, onion and gravy. Betty now has the job to keep him busy as retirement looms.
IF YOU want to know what’s happening in North Ipswich you don’t have to travel far to find out.
Just pop down to Downs Street Seafood and Fresh Food Centre and ask for Big Russ Franklin.
In fact, you mightn’t even need to ask for him, you’ll probably find him sitting at a table outside the shop sipping on a coffee.
But the man who knows all the gossip isn’t going to be readily available in the future to give you the inside oil.
Russ has just decided to sell up after 27 years.
“I love this place and I enjoy getting up and coming to work every day, but it’s just time to move on,” he said.
“I’m 73 years of age now and I am missing out on lots of things including watching my family grow up. My
grandson played his first game of A Grade football on the Gold Coast last week and I couldn’t go and watch him.
“Soon I will be on the sideline cheering him on and I’ll also get time to do all those things I have been putting off on my North Ipswich block.”
Russ along with his wife Betty have made many friends over the years through their popular food business.
Customers come from far and wide to grab a Big Russ Burger or a large serve of fish and chips.
His regulars include a gentleman who orders a meal of four sausages, gravy, mashed vegetables and two drinks every night of the week and has done so for a number of years.
For Russ it has always been a case of “you want it and I’ll try and accommodate it”.
“That’s how the takeaway business all started, shortly after we opened up someone asked why we couldn’t cook it for them,” he said.
“We started the next week, and we haven’t looked back.”
While Russ has adapted to his customer’s wishes over the years he has also lived by the mantra of good service, good food and good value.
“If I couldn’t eat it, I won’t sell it,” he said.
Big is not just his tag with customers, it is also part of his ethos.
“I have specially made six-inch buns so I can fit all the fillings on them. When the finished burger comes out from the kitchen people start to wonder if they’ll be able to finish them. Most can’t, but they’ll never walk away from my shop not believing they didn’t get value for money,” Russ said.
Wife Betty says her greatest issue once they sell the business will be stopping Russ from walking up to the shop to see how it’s going.
