A 24-year-old area manager has opened her own Zambrero restaurant in Frankston after winning a franchise at the company’s annual conference in 2024.
Gilmour won the restaurant as part of celebrations that marked the Mexican-themed restaurant chain reaching a global footprint of 300 restaurants.
“The entries were open to anyone in the room – you simply had to write down why you believed you were deserving of the opportunity. I think I rewrote my entry four or five times and forced my entire group to listen to it before I finally submitted it,’’ Gilmour said.
“I’ve always been someone who puts everything into the things I care about, so when the opportunity came up I really wanted to make sure I gave it my best shot.”
Gilmour joined Zambrero as a 14-year-old team member, became a supervisor, restaurant manager, trainer before taking on an area manager role.
She has also helped open several new restaurants across Victoria, in which she has a part share of ownership.
“I’ve also been very fortunate to work closely with [multi-unit franchisee] Luke Grady over the years. Having the visibility he gives us into the business – from understanding the P&L to encouraging us to ask questions and really learn the operations – has been incredibly valuable. That mentorship has played a huge role in building my confidence to take this next step,” Gilmour said.
