The Guzman y Gomez (GYG) Mexican fast food chain is a fast-growing brand with big ambitions. Nikki Richardson, director of franchisee operations, reveals some essentials about the business.

How long has the business been trading?

GYG opened its first restaurant in Newtown, Sydney, in 2006 with a vision to reinvent fast food by serving fresh, made-to-order Mexican food without compromising on quality. Following the success of our company-owned restaurants, GYG launched its franchising program in 2010 with the opening of its first franchised restaurant in Fortitude Valley, Queensland.

Today, GYG operates more than 280 restaurants across Australia, Singapore and Japan. In Australia, we partner with 73 franchisees, with a number of multi-site owner operators bringing GYG to their local communities while remaining actively involved in their restaurants.

Our franchise partners come from a wide range of backgrounds, including banking, policing, executive leadership, hospitality and healthcare. While their experience is diverse, they all share the same qualities: a genuine love for the GYG brand and food, a deep love for leading large teams and deveoping a passion for hospitality, and a commitment to changing the way the masses eat.

What does it cost to buy a franchise?

A new restaurant typically costs between $1.7 million and $2 million to establish.

To secure funding through one of GYG’s accredited banking partners, franchisees generally require a minimum of 40 per cent of the total investment in liquid assets. That equates to approximately $700,000-$800,000, with the balance funded through finance.

What are the core areas of your business?

GYG is on a mission to reinvent fast food and become the best and biggest restaurant company in the world. We do that by refusing to compromise on the two things that matter most:,our food and our people.

With more than 280 restaurants across Australia, Singapore and Japan, we’re proving that fast food can be fresh, clean and made to order, every single time. Since taking our menu “Clean” in 2016, which means no added preservatives, no artificial colours, no artificial flavours and no unacceptable additives in our food. Every meal is cooked fresh to order using quality ingredients, proving that fast food can also be real food.

Who is a typical customer?

Our guests range from families looking for an easy weeknight dinner, to students, professionals and elite athletes. In fact, GYG is the food of choice for many professional sporting teams across Australia because our meals are fresh, high in protein and fully customisable.

What makes your brand stand out?

Our commitment to clean, high-quality food at fast food speed is rare in this industry, and it’s what gives our franchisees something that they believe in and that is genuinely worth selling.

When you’re part of GYG, you’re not just running a restaurant. You’re part of a brand that guests trust and come back to because the food is that good.

Why is this a good business for a franchisee to buy into?

GYG franchisees are buying into one of Australia’s fastest-growing restaurant brands, with strong restaurant economics, a proven operating model and significant growth opportunities ahead.

We open more than 30 new restaurants each year and support every franchisee with dedicated teams across real estate, operations, technology, marketing, finance and training. Our franchisees are also shareholders in GYG, creating genuine alignment between the success of our partners and the success of the business.

Which element of franchisee support is the most well received?

The support provided by our dedicated culinary and operations coach is consistently rated as one of the most valued aspects of the GYG franchise model.

From day one, every franchisee works alongside an experienced coach who provides hands-on support across operations, people development, financial performance, sales growth, marketing execution, culinary excellence and brand standards.

Rather than simply providing a manual, our coaches work alongside franchisees to help them build outstanding restaurants and grow as business owners. As franchisees expand into multiple restaurants, that support evolves with them, ensuring they continue to develop as leaders.

How many hours a week does a franchisee typically work?

At GYG, we’re looking for hands-on owner operators who are actively involved in every aspect of their business. 

Our franchisees lead from the front by developing their teams, maintaining operational and culinary excellence, engaging with guests, reviewing business performance and building strong relationships within their local communities.

As they build experienced leadership teams, many transition into successful multi-site operators, allowing them to spend more time working on their business rather than in it. While the hours naturally evolve, our expectation remains the same: franchisees are committed, visible leaders who drive the success of their restaurants.

What drives your growth strategy?

Our growth strategy is built on disciplined, long-term expansion rather than growth for growth’s sake.

Every new restaurant starts with securing the right AAA location, backed by detailed market analysis and proven restaurant economics. We then partner with the right franchisees, provide industry-leading support and ensure every new restaurant delivers the same guest experience that has built the GYG brand.

This measured approach has allowed us to scale rapidly while protecting the quality of both the guest experience and our franchise network.

What are your expansion plans for the next five years?

Australia is still our biggest opportunity, and we’re not slowing down. Our ambition is 1,000 restaurants, but we’ll get there the right way. Every site has to be the right site, and every franchisee who joins the GYG family has to be the right fit. 

The food is the brand. So as we grow, the standard has to hold. Fresh, clean, made-to-order at every single restaurant. That’s what guests expect from us, and it’s what we expect from ourselves.

We’re deliberate about where we open and who we open with. That discipline is exactly what protects what makes GYG special, and what gives our franchisees the strongest possible business to be part of.

What is one exciting innovation or development GYG has introduced?

We launched a propriety order management system. Our 40-person tech team built it in-house and rolled it out across all 280-plus restaurants. 

It centralises how orders flow through the kitchen, which means crew can focus on making great food faster and guests get their order right, every time. For our franchisees and restaurant operations teams, that kind of consistency and efficiency makes a real difference day to day. 

We also became the first quick service restaurant in Australia to launch ordering through Apple CarPlay. Guests can order on the way, walk in and their food is ready. No waiting, no friction.

Every piece of technology we invest in starts with the same question: how do we make it even easier for guests to enjoy great food? That thinking runs through everything we build.