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Bert Mueller started California Burrito after realising that there were burger, pizza and fried chicken restaurants in India but not enough Mexican ones.
The first California Burrito outlet was opened in Bengaluru. (Photo Credit: Instagram)
Famous for its tacos, rice bowls, nachos, salads, and burritos, California Burrito is a well-known Mexican fast-food restaurant chain in India. Although the food is delicious, the chain’s backstory is just as interesting. Bert Mueller, an American entrepreneur, founded the company after seeing an opportunity to bring Mexican food to India and create a successful enterprise.
How and Why Bert Mueller Introduced Mexican Food to India?
In 2010, Bert Mueller visited India through a study abroad program. During a podcast with Caleb Friesen, a Canadian living in India, Mueller shared his experience of spending six months with an Indian family in Jaipur. Inspired by India’s vibrant culture and growing opportunities, he decided to launch a business in the country. Noticing that while pizza, burgers, and fried chicken were widely available, few places were serving Mexican cuisine, he saw a gap in the market — and that’s how the idea for California Burrito was born.
Mueller and fellow Americans Gaelan Draper and Dharam Khalsa co-founded the business. In addition to the USD 15,000 each partner contributed, they were able to raise an extra USD 250,000 from friends and family by creating a Tumblr blog that chronicled their startup process.
After considering opening their first restaurant in Gurugram, the three decided to go to Bengaluru because of the more reasonably priced real estate there. Their first outlet was opened at Embassy GolfLinks Tech Park, across from Goldman Sachs, despite their initial objective being Orion Mall.
Popularity of the first California Burrito outlet grew rapidly. The restaurant received 150 orders an hour on average within the first three months, despite not having any official marketing. Draper and Mueller even served burritos to customers while working behind the counter.
Mueller and a team member personally sourced materials in the beginning. To stock up on vegetables, they purchased a Maruti Omni van and went to local markets every two months. This experience helped to define the company’s emphasis on sound unit economics.
Although some IT professionals originally tried eating burritos with a fork, Mueller acknowledged that they had discretionary income and were open to trying new foods.
With time, California Burrito also ventured into the corporate catering market, providing burritos to Zynga, a video game developer and publisher, and other businesses. Following the launch of two more outlets in Bengaluru, the founders, under the direction of businessman and angel investor Adhvith Dhuddu, raised USD 750,000 in 2013. Using a Company Owned, Company Operated (COCO) business model, California Burrito was able to grow to 15 sites thanks to this new funding.
The brand was flourishing by 2020. With 37 stores and Rs 4 crore in revenue, February this year was their greatest month to date. California Burrito now has more than 50 outlets in Hyderabad, Chennai, the National Capital Region (NCR), and Bengaluru.
- Location :
Delhi, India, India
