Brod pushing his luck?

Ive been out looking for this brod place many times, trying to follow directions and maps posted over the months on RA, and have never even seen a hint of its existance.

Any chance someone can accurately describe or pinpoint on a map, where this place is?

I quite like the Edmund Barton Building. Dunno why people hate modernist architecture.

I heard ‘on the grapevine’ that this issue is actually about the fact that hawkers like Brod are not paying anything for services like electricity, and therefore formalising the arrangement would actually be in the interest of tax payers. Can anyone verify this?

Personally, when I’ve tried the Brod, I found it disappointing to say the least. After the massive build-up on RA, I was expecting something spectacular, not a slightly above-average hamburger with fancy cheese and a half hour wait.

If the van is part of the appeal, there’s no reason why a permanent kiosk couldn’t be built to look like a caravan, is there? I mean, this is just argument for the sake of argument! I hate the NCA as much as the next half-sensible human being in the city hates the little buggers, but there’s no point cutting off your nose to spite your face.

For what its worth there are a number of food vans around the place that are pretty much permanent – the one in woden near the corner of Hindmarsh and Melrose immediately springs to mind – and older Rioters will remember Dollys in West Civic which was there for about 25 years. So there’s obviously a capacity to allow that sort of thing. I guess the big diference is that those other vans weren’t smack on the shore of LBG so they woun’t have come under the gaze of the NCA – who have traditionally been hyper protective of the lake shoe and any possibility of development.

bah to people with irritating senses of entitlement and thinking they are above the law which the rest of us must live by. as others have said – put up or shut up and move on mister brod.

Brod’s been given a dream run so far … to the point it’s been suggested public funds should be expended on providing him with a little grotto to sell his wares.

The burgers are actually pretty good.

He’s been given a very reasonable timeframe to sort it all out.

His argument that it’s impractical are bullshit. If he still has an issue I’ve got some ice boxes I’ll sell him for … oooh $1000 a pop.

Should we be alienating public land and giving a free right to a be a burger seller on that land simply cos we like the food?

If so, I’m in the wrong business, give me some of that free action. I can sizzle a patty with the best of them.

Those who bring the Aboriginal Tent Embassy into the argument have a point … precedent … but who has the energy to argue that to finality?

Swaggie said :

Let Broddy stay FFS – moving the van every day serves what purpose other than to let some public servant show how tough he is?

+1

I-filed said :

The van is an eyesore.

Pfft, I didn’t even notice it for months. I haven’t eaten there yet but I’d like it to still be there when I decide to.

I don’t really have an opinion on whether the Brod van should move on but if the government want to be taken seriously they should expend their efforts on getting rid of the Mandalay bus in Braddon first. It serves no food and no purpose!

The government seem to ignore this eyesore whilst wasting their time trying to evict Brodburger? Something doesn’t add up here… someone looks like they have their nose out of joint (maybe they waited the 2 hours and didn’t like the burger?)

I-filed said :

The van is an eyesore. They should move to business premises – if they are that good, clients will drive kms to get a good feed. They’ve had a very good run.

Grail, without the NCA, the ACT Government would run rampant. Fancy houses all the way up Mt Ainslie? Every skerrick of open land turned into flats?

Rampant over development at the airport. Hang on, that was the NCA.

Had my first burger there last week; underwhelmed. Scraping a bit of blue cheese onto a bun does not a great burger make. “The Brod” may enjoy this notion that he’s fighting against The Man, but he’s just another merchant after our money.

Flatheads at O’Connor is the go. Cheap, fresh ingredients, perfect.

I-filed said :

houses all the way up Mt Ainslie?

…hmmm…now there’s an idea…

What purpose would moving the van every night serve? Just a waste of fuel and one more car on the roads. Maybe once a month or something, to prove it is mobile and can be moved if required.

If the food van was only just staying in business this would probably not be happening. I suspect Brod has had enough and ready to try something else anyway.

And as for more bins by the lake – it is the ACT govt that removed all bins from public places like parks etc, on purpose to save a few pennies.

Did anyone hear Mike Kelly on the Political Panel on 666 this morning? When Ross Solly asked him about the BB, he mentioned the name of a great burger place he frequented on his way home to ?NSW somewhere… Any ideas – might have a shorter queue…and worth a drive in the country!

It’s a van ffs. It’s not like the big red van infuses the burgers with magic tasting goodness. Just move to a fixed building, make burgers, profit.

Those of the opinion, ‘the van goes, I go!’ need to move on and stop being scene posers.

Holden Caulfield said :

@Grail — Given the Edmund Barton Building is Heritage listed and is a well-known work of Harry Seidler you have actually raised a very valid point, even if that wasn’t your intention, haha.

The Edmund Barton Building? Is that what it’s called? I’ve only ever known it as “the building with the studs on it”.

The van is an eyesore. They should move to business premises – if they are that good, clients will drive kms to get a good feed. They’ve had a very good run.

Grail, without the NCA, the ACT Government would run rampant. Fancy houses all the way up Mt Ainslie? Every skerrick of open land turned into flats?

@Grail — Given the Edmund Barton Building is Heritage listed and is a well-known work of Harry Seidler you have actually raised a very valid point, even if that wasn’t your intention, haha.

I reckon it’s about time we evicted the NCA. The Commonwealth Government can’t have its cake and eat it too – either it’s responsible for Canberra as a whole, or it’s not. None of this, “oh, you guys sort yourselves out while we hold your most valuable real estate as a club to bludgeon you with at whim.”

I reckon the rent from Parliament House alone would at least help keep our roads in good shape.

As for Brodburger, let’s quote that key phrase from the Canberra Times: “developments must show an appropriate quality of architectural design consistent with their location in this area of special national concern.” The area of concern of course including such architectural marvels as the Edmond Barton Building (for those who don’t know it, it’s the great big block of concrete off to the left side of King’s Avenue as you drive over the bridge towards Parliament House). So you can understand the kind of “quality of architectural design” that the NCA are aiming for.

Perhaps Mr Brodbeck should perhaps paint his caravan a dreary grey to match the significant architectural styles of the parliamentary triangle.

Noone bothered to enforce the rules of the hawker’s licence in the time since the Brodburger van was first allowed to park at Bowen Park, it makes little sense to start throwing the rule book at them now. The Brodburger van part of Canberra’s culture now, regardless of Aurelius’s impatience and poor taste in burgers. The NCA on the other hand are pains in the collective arse – we never wanted them, they serve no purpose other than to aggravate and molest the population of Canberra, and their very existence is the Commonwealth of Australia’s collective snubbing of noses at Canberra, and thus an affront to civil decency.

My opinion is still that NCA should pack up and get out of Canberra.

Aurelius said :

his food’s not worth the wait at all.

way over rated plus who wants to have dinner with all mullys mates on there way home

I admit the red burger van is part of the appeal, but it’s not the be all and end all. If he wants to keep his van he should try and find an alternate location on the lake that is suitable. Preferably somewhere with more parking and a large number of rubbish bins. Near the famed Futsal court maybe?

If he wants to stay in his current location then either comply with the request or seek an alternate solution, which could be a more permanent structure.

I’m a big fan of Brodburgers but I’ve pretty much wiped out the warmer months as I can’t be arsed waiting so long. Not to mention the muppet in the yellow van that sticks his gob into everyone’s conversations.

Swaggie said :

Meanwhile a collective garbage pit called The Aboriginal Embassy is allowed to stay there on NCA land untouched and unhindered. What licence are they allowed to camp, build, light fires and park a sloppy collection of vehicles under? The NCA seems to prefer soft targets when picking a fight. Let Broddy stay FFS – moving the van every day serves what purpose other than to let some public servant show how tough he is?

And the Aboriginal Tent Embassy doesn’t even serve food!

Meanwhile a collective garbage pit called The Aboriginal Embassy is allowed to stay there on NCA land untouched and unhindered. What licence are they allowed to camp, build, light fires and park a sloppy collection of vehicles under? The NCA seems to prefer soft targets when picking a fight. Let Broddy stay FFS – moving the van every day serves what purpose other than to let some public servant show how tough he is?

No food is worth the wait one has to endure there.
And his food’s not worth the wait at all.

just out of interest does anyone know how much rent they are paying? or do they just have to pay an annual hawkers fee and dont actually pay any rent?

Brod doesn’t deserve the success it has received. Give any small business operator an opportunity like this (with a licence to print their own money) and they’d do everything they could to stay in operation (even if that meant having to move their caravan on a daily basis – it’s on wheels for f..k’s sake).

I don’t rate Brod, never have, so I wouldn’t be upset to see them go. However, I agree that they have become a fabled part of the Canberra culinary myth so should probably remain in operation. If Sascha were smart he’d take advantage of this generous offer, but his lack of business sense dictates that he probably won’t and the caravan will go.

Old Broddie should negotiate an exit from the caravan and evolve into leased premises. Seems the natural way to go. If it’s the burgers, rather than than the nature and location of the purchase, then he already has the clientele to carry with him.

I personally don’t have a problem with the red van staying where it is forever as long as it’s kept neat and antisocial elements stay away. But the reality is guvmnt exists partly to stifle innovation and success and the old Brodburger isn’t immune.

Negotiating a phased exit strategy with the NCA, say 12 months in which to find premises and let people know it’s moving shouldn’t be an unrealistic plan and in the long run everyone should be happy, non?