Can Sydney’s burrito king conquer the $676b US fast food market?
by Jessica Gardner · Australian Financial ReviewJessica GardnerUnited States correspondent
Mar 19, 2026 – 12.00pm
The young Latina woman manning the front counter shouts an enthusiastic “Hola! Welcome!” as the door opens. Reggaeton is playing. It is lunchtime, but the three month-old restaurant, Guzman y Gomez’s foray into Chicago’s rapidly gentrifying suburb of Bucktown, is otherwise silent. There are two customers. In the next half-hour, nine more will come through the door. It is barely enough to keep half a dozen staff occupied.
Guzman y Gomez might be a household name in Australia – a rapidly expanding chain of Mexican-themed restaurants with a market capitalisation of almost $2 billion – but it is its plan to take on the United States that is occupying the imagination of investors, who are seriously worried, and executives, who insist there are big opportunities.
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Jessica GardnerUnited States correspondentJessica Gardner is The Australian Financial Review’s United States correspondent. She was previously deputy editor - news. Connect with Jessica on Twitter. Email Jessica at jgardner@afr.com
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