The Hamdog was first launched on the Shark Tank TV program in 2015 but was told it would never get up. Murray walked away from the show without any investors, yet he was still determined to make his insane idea work…
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Janine Allis told me that it was impossible to patent. “She’ll be eating her words now”, Mr Murray said.
However, he didn’t let the disappointment stop him from bringing the Hamdog to life.
That was in 2004, but Murray has since applied and been granted patents in Australia and the United States and has appeared on Australia’s “Shark Tank” where he was rejected by the judges. At one stage the crew were knocking out about one every 15 seconds.
The burger is split in half, with the hotdog nestling in the crack and placed on the custom-baked bun which Mark Murray has patented. Multiple toppings such as lettuce, tomato, cheese, mustard, pickles, mayo, and ketchup then can be added in. The best part? A mutant bun that covers the whole thing, and looks kind of like the planet Saturn in profile.
And if it were up to them, we’d be cursed to live out the rest of our days, tragically forced to use both hands just on meat alone, our burgers and our dogs separated forever.
For now, the Hamdog is the only fast food listed up for sale, but Mr Murray said the team is interested in expanding the menu. At the moment there is a fair bit of labor involved in making the buns because they’re made by people, not machines. The company is now looking at ways to semi-automate the production.
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He’s now inviting people to buy into his business so the Hamdog can be sold around the country. He is also looking to expand his creation in the future. But before you open one in Sydney’s Surry Hills or Newtown, please keep in mind that there aren’t any gluten free, vegan or vegetation options. yet. “Once the product is out there and that process is sorted, we’ll start experimenting”. The “Hamdog” will be rolled out nation-wide and will be available, hopefully, at a Bunnings sausage sizzle near you shortly.
