Ultimo's Pub Life Kitchen to close, citing burger overload

One of the pioneers of Sydney's burger craze is calling time on his nine-year-old venue and believes the inner city has finally hit a burger tipping point.

Jovan Curic will close Ultimo's Pub Life Kitchen – a fixture on Sydney best burger lists – on October 14 after a nearly decade-long run. "The success of the burger washed away attention on other parts of the menu, which was fine when burgers were running hot," he says.

Curic believes the inner city will see a contraction in the number of burger outlets, with "fewer and better operators" emerging.

He's waging growth will be found in less crowded suburban markets, backing his theory in with the launch late last year of Superior Burger in the western Sydney suburb of Wakeley.

Curic, who has also restored a 1950s Austin bus to promote his brand, will add to his hospitality portfolio. "I'm opening a 120-seat Serbian bistro in western Sydney early next year."