It all started when Tommy’s wife was craving for cheeseburgers while expecting their first child. Tommy took things into his own hands and made a cheeseburger from scratch, and the rest was history.
The decision to scale up was from the support of Tommy’s friends and customers as well as the birth of their second child – maintaining the business at home was not viable as their home was always smoky from the cooking.
As Tommy is not a chef by training and no experience in the F&B industry, he tapped on his wife’s expertise from the hotel industry and his current brand manger’s F&B expertise to reach out to individuals with the right skills to bring the physical store idea to life. It took Tommy a few months to actualise the big idea before the official launch in early March 2022.
From the recipe that’s suited to the Singaporean palate to the Hokkien inspired naming convention, it is evident how Tommy positions his branding – by Singaporeans, for Singaporeans. Tommy strongly believes in local branding and aims to put NBCB’s name out there with international brands, slowly but surely.
The foundation of a business is always its staff, and Tommy’s position when it comes to his staff is one of the reasons that keeps customers coming back. He emphasises on the importance of knowledge transfers to his chefs to grow them as individuals and to ensure quality control of their burgers. He also implemented two service timings to allow ample rests for his service crew so they’re able to service customers to the best of their abilities.
Tommy also holds his family close to his heart as they are his motivation to realise his ambition for NBCB.
Looking for some comfort food? Opt for the classic NBCB ($11.90) burger to satisfy your craving. Feeling adventurous? Get the DCB (Double Cheese Burger) ($15.90) that packs a punch of flavourful meats. Looking for something spicy? Try the spicy CCB (Chicken Cheese Burger) ($8.90) that’s crispy and juicy, paired with quality brioche buns.
You can also zhng (enhance) your CB (Cheese Burger) with additional topping such as crispy bacon, pickles, sunny side up and more! Or make it a meal for an additional $4 – choose from Crisscut Fries or Shoestring Fries paired with a drink of your choice.
Tommy’s vision is to set up a central kitchen and bring NBCB to all corners of Singapore but first, his priority now will be to perfect the quality of his recipe and expand his menu to be more inclusive before taking the next step to expand.