Mexican-inspired fast food chain Zambrero has celebrated two decades in business. The anniversary coincided with its Plate 4 Plate initiative donating its 100th million meal.
To mark the 100 million meals donated, the company undertook a nationwide giveaway of 100,000 burritos; each burrito triggered another meal donation.
Dr Sam Prince founded Zambrero in Canberra on 31 December 2005. It now operates more than 300 restaurants across Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland and the US.
Dr Prince said the milestone was less about celebration and more about evidence.
“When Zambrero started in Canberra, the idea that a food business could make a real difference while also succeeding commercially had very few believers,” he said.
The Plate 4 Plate initiative donates a meal to someone in need with every burrito or bowl purchased.
“Twenty years on, reaching 100 million plates shows that the model works when it’s built properly. What began here has grown into a global franchise because customers and franchise partners backed the idea and proved it could scale,” Prince said.
Zambrero CEO Daryl McCormack said the business’s longevity reflected the discipline applied to the business model.
“Zambrero didn’t grow because it was idealistic. It grew because the fundamentals stacked up,” he said.
“Purpose was embedded from the beginning, but it’s operational discipline, franchise economics and consistent execution that have allowed the business to scale from Canberra to multiple international markets and sustain that growth over 20 years.”
