Much-loved eatery Chimmi Changa's Burrito Bar is making a return; opening bigger and better in South Hurstville.
It is the brainchild of Therese Hadjia and Liam Thomakos who opened their first shop in Mortdale in 2014.
They closed the doors last year after outgrowing the space and spent a year searching for a new space before settling on their Connells Point Road location.
Liam’s brother George has joined the pair and the trio have spent months pouring love, sweat and tears into the new restaurant.
Ms Hadjia is known for her performances on Channel 7's the X-Factor with her sister Joelle.
She said even she was surprised by the reaction to their Mortdale restaurant.
‘’It completely took off. We had a fantastic response from the locals, I think because it had a really nice, warm, family atmosphere,’’ she said.
‘’We couldn’t handle the demand so we looked for the bigger shop.’’
They have taken their signature food and atmosphere and added in a cocktail bar and white horse coffee.
‘’It’s like a new and improved version of the old shop,’’ she said.
‘’The old one was more makeshift so now this is our permanent home.’’
[FROM THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE:
Nice write up by The Leader and what an absolutely crazy Opening Weekend we had!!
We were completely and utterly overwhelmed with the response from the weekend. From having our supporters waiting in line to being jam packed and running out of food we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the support!
To those of you who couldn't make it through the front door, we apologise and thank you for being so understanding! We would like to also thank those of you who waited so patiently for a spot. It means a lot to us! We have already had to expand our chimmi staff team to prepare for the week ahead! ]
At the new restaurant they have simplified the menu but have still kept signature dishes including burritos, tacos and the locals favourite nachos.
She said it was the freshness that set them apart from other Mexican restaurants.
‘’Our meats are all made fresh, it takes a whole day to cook and we’re doing that everyday,’’ she said.
‘’That is our huge point of difference. There’s something about the fresh flavours when they interact with each other that you can’t get at chains.’’
On Friday, April 21, they had a soft launch for locals but they will host their grand opening a week later on Saturday, April 29.
The opening is already causing a buzz with people stopping by to take a look of their Donald Trump mural which adorns the back wall.
Their social media posts have also been getting attention with thousands of people liking their page or sharing their posts.
Chimmi Changa's Burrito Bar is located at 50 Connells Point Road, South Hurstville.