If you’ve ever smashed a quick Macca's brekkie on a busy morning, you can thank the people of Newcastle for it.
The breakfast menu of the fast-food giant was trialled in the regional city in the 1980s, and was quickly adopted across Australia when it went gangbusters.
It's on the smorgasbord of innovations and ideas that have been trialled and tested in the Hunter Valley, and the list of inventions given a go in Newy is surprisingly diverse.
The polymer bank note? Newcastle tested and passed.
The driverless bus? Trialled in Newy.
Sydney's infamous lockout laws? Taken up after a "successful" installation in Newcastle.
They came into affect in the Hunter in 2008, were rolled out in Sydney in 2014, and were scrapped in both cities by 2021.
The Hunter has historically been at the top of the test-site list for things that need a good go in society before being rolled out more widely.
So why is that?
Historical start-up heaven
In 1983, author James Docherty summed it up perfectly in his book Newcastle: The making of an Australian city.
"[Newcastle] is widely regarded as an ideal place for market research because the people are considered statistically representative of 'typical' Australians," he wrote.
Entrepreneur and investor Gunilla Burrowes, who is part of the Hunter's Living Lab, said modern Newcastle offered that and so much more.
"It's a Goldilocks city," she said.
"There's been a lot of talk around those years about Newcastle being the first perfect place to test ideas, and that's basically what the Living Lab is … to be this open, innovative ecosystem."
She said the connections that entrepreneurs and creators could make in the Hunter was largely unmatched.
"We're small enough ... we can actually know state or federal members or industry leaders as friends and family," she said.
"Yet it's big enough to have infrastructure and creative industries."
The focus in 2022 has been less on food and more technology.
Enter smart e-scooters in Lake Macquarie, the first place in New South Wales approved for the bright, colourful way to get around town.
They’re not only a good way to get around, but help maintenance crews keep Lake Mac’s streets in top-shape.
Dantia chief executive Josh Sattler, whose company is the economic arm of Lake Macquarie City Council, said the scooters could be used when measuring footpath undulations to determine where repairs were needed.
"Using the scooter analytics you can draw out insights associated with who you're passing whether they're male, female, a kid, a dog on a leash etcetera," he said.
The data can then be crunched by the council and the business community to help in decision making.
So what’ll be tested here next?
Mr Sattler's smart-technology trial plans are set to roll beyond the scooter.
"When we've got passenger drones not far away, that's exciting," he said.
"To get from Belmont airport to the Hunter in 10 minutes, and back down to Sydney in 40.
"Some of these things are going to come to fruition pretty soon, why not make it happen here."
Allegro Energy co-founder Fraser Hughson, whose energy storage company works in the manufacturing space, said he was working with The Melt, an industrial prototype lab in Warners Bay.
Originally from New Zealand, Dr Hughson said the Hunter region was "the perfect place" for tech and energy developers.
"There's lots of developing industry around here ... that we were really keen to get involved with," he said.
"We are a small young company, you know ... so having some expertise like that here and that we can draw on. It's been great."
The hook, line and sinker for Hunter-based entrepreneurs is community buy-in.
How much locals will take part. How much they’re willing to pitch in.
"Everyone comes with different motivations and outcomes but I think it's our ability to come together that's our strength," Ms Burrowes said.
"I still really believe in the Hunter as a perfect place to do this and to lead Australia in investing and innovation."
