An unforgettable charcoal chicken, seasoned with a secret family recipe and cooked over smoky mangrove charcoal, is drawing diners from all over Southeast Queensland to a small, bustling shop in Mt Gravatt.
Five years ago, Kesra Sefian took a leap of faith. He used savings from his shisha delivery business to buy the charcoal chicken shop his parents had been running for just over a year. While they had experience from a similar venture in Sydney decades earlier, they found the Brisbane market much tougher. Sefian saw the potential and decided to purchase the business from them, repaying their initial investment and setting out to build on their foundation.
A Modern Twist on Tradition
The heart of Sizzling Birds remains its food, which is deeply rooted in family history. The signature chicken is based on one of his father’s Lebanese-inspired recipes. Sefian explained that his father experimented with about five different marinades, but when he landed on the current one, his son knew it was a winner. He insisted on keeping that specific recipe when he took over the business.
While he honours his father’s creation of Middle Eastern herbs, sea salt, and fresh lemon, Sefian has adapted processes to keep up with overwhelming demand. He no longer brines the halal-sourced birds, a step his father used to take, noting that the difference in flavour is minimal compared to the time saved. The chicken is cooked over mangrove charcoal, which Sefian says provides a perfect smoky flavour. The family connection continues at the front counter, where cookie pies from his mother’s business, Get Stuffed Cookie Pies, are sold.
Building a Community Hub
Sefian credits much of the shop’s explosive growth to his focus on digital marketing, using platforms like Instagram to build a following and attract new customers. This modern approach has turned the small shop in the Civic Fair shopping complex into a well-known name in Brisbane’s food scene.
The strategy has paid off, creating a diverse and loyal customer base. On any given night, the shop is bustling with a mix of longtime locals and families who have driven from as far as Ipswich and the Gold Coast. Sefian noted the strong support from the area’s large Greek community, alongside other migrant families and local Aussies. The menu has also expanded to include hugely popular halal snack packs, grilled chicken burgers, and wings.
The success of Sizzling Birds is a story of generational change, where a son’s belief in a family recipe, paired with a modern business mindset, has created a thriving community hub. After years of hard work, Sefian remarked that the business is finally doing well enough for him to pay himself a wage.
Published Date 15-September-2025
