When Dr Sam Prince opened a small Mexican restaurant in Canberra 20 years ago (31 December), the idea that a fast-casual food business could balance social impact with commercial success was met with deep scepticism.At the time, few believed a purpose-led model could survive in a highly competitive sector, let alone scale.Two decades on, Zambrero is a global franchise success operating across Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland and the United States, with regional communities like Karratha helping prove the model works.
This December also marked another major milestone for the Canberra-founded brand, with Zambrero surpassing 100 million meals donated to people in need through its global Plate 4 Plate initiative.The Perth and Karratha communities have contributed to that global impact through the support of local customers and franchise partners, helping build the momentum behind Zambrero’s purpose-led model.
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,” Dr Prince commented “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.”
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,” McCormack commented “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.”
As part of its 20-year milestone, Zambrero recently gave away 100,000 burritos globally to celebrate reaching 100 million meals donated through its Plate 4 Plate initiative, with each burrito triggering an additional meal donation and adding another 100,000 meals to the tally.
A community-powered mission
Great-tasting food with bold flavours and fresh ingredients is only one part of Zambrero’s story. The other part? Helping end world hunger.
Through the Plate 4 Plate initiative, every time a customer orders a regular or big burrito, bowl, Kids Zam Box or retail item, a meal is donated to someone in need. Working with distribution partners including Rise Against Hunger, Love Mercy Foundation and Foodbank, Zambrero has now donated more than 100 million meals, with the number growing every day. Bhagirathsinh Jadeja has contributed 117,354 meal to the Plate 4 Plate initiative through his Zambrero restaurants in Brabham, Perth’s north-eastern suburbs, which has been operating for the past three years, and Karratha, which has been open for the past three months.
“Karratha, being a strong and close-knit mining community, is really excited to be participating in a initiative like this, where simply buying lunch whether it’s a bowl or a burrito – can help support people doing it tough, both locally and globally,” Mr Jadeja said.
After arriving in Australia 11 years ago from Gujarat, India, to study a Master of professional Accounting, Mr Jadeja said the Plate 4 Plate initiative holds a special place for him.
“Having grown up in a developing country, and through my life experiences both in Australia and overseas, I’ve seen firsthand how access to food can make a meaningful difference in people’s lives,” he said “My wife is from Kenya, and together we’ve been fortunate to witness the strength and resilience of communities across different parts of the world. Food insecurity is a global issue, and Plate 4 Plate is a fantastic initiative that creates real, tangible impact by helping those in need, no matter where they are.”