Becky Martin, writer
Published at 23/11/2018, Updated on 04/05/2022 , Reading time: 6 min
Barmy for burritos? Read on to discover how you can start your own franchise offering the nutritious and filling meal.
It’s safe to say that Brits have fallen in love with Mexican food. Whether it’s a taco on the go or fajitas in a restaurant, the colourful cuisine is enjoyed by many of us. The UK spends approximately £49 billion a year on eating and drinking out. Many Mexican restaurant businesses launched to capitalise on our adoration of the delicious wrapped goodness and have seen great success, so why not consider starting your own franchise in the lucrative sector?
Take Barburrito, for example, which is one of the biggest burrito bars in the UK. After its launch in 2005, it received its first funding from Business Growth Fund in 2012 and now the investment company has around £11.35 million invested in the burrito brand and a turnover run rate of £14 million.
It’s not just Mexican cuisine that offers burritos
After emerging from the kitchens of trendy West Coast eateries in the USA, the sushi burrito has finally landed in the UK and is making something of a splash. The latest foodie trend has already won over numerous fans and is looking like the next big thing on the food-to-go and fusion culinary scenes.
UK consumers have already demonstrated their appreciation for a new type of fast food restaurant, particularly if it specialises in Mexican cuisine or involves sushi. Both of these foodstuffs have been the subjects of their own trends in recent years, and the new sushi burrito craze makes the most of customers’ love for international dishes. So, whether it’s Mexican-style or sushi burritos, if you’re interested in riding this trend wave, you’ll want to know how you can get your franchise up and running…
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8 tips for running a burrito restaurant franchise
1. Study the competition
Visit burrito restaurants in your local area and compare their menu offerings and prices. If they are successful, this should give you an idea of what customers in that area are happy to pay to get their burrito fix. It also should highlight any gaps in the market and any innovative menu items that you can launch that aren’t already being offered.
2. Find the perfect location
Choose a location in a high-traffic area, for instance on a busy high street with lots of passers-by. Make sure there are plenty of places to park. Think about what factors would deter you from visiting a restaurant and be sure to counteract these with your own burrito restaurant.
3. Find a food supplier and equipment wholesalers
When you buy into an existing franchise, chances are you won’t have to worry too much about this step as you can take advantage of established contacts. But if not, contact different suppliers and order all of your burrito franchise equipment, for instance, tills, steam tables, fryers, menu board etc.
4. Hire an excellent team of employees and market your business
You could put an ad out online, advertise on all major social media platforms, the radio, in the newspapers etc. Make the most of the franchise brand’s current stream of customers and advertise on the national website too. You can use these channels to also get word out about your business’ launch.
The following tips are important for entrepreneurs wanting to franchise their current burrito business or become a franchisor of a new burrito restaurant concept…
5. Think about your brand
With a franchise, it’s all about reputation. Franchisees want to buy into your brand and your identity. They want a name and an image that’s instantly recognisable, and that’s capable of generating a buzz. This means that you’ll need to work long and hard to develop an identity that’s appealing to customers. As your franchise grows, it will quickly become your most valuable asset and the factor that convinces new investors to join your blossoming business.
6. Choose a restaurant style that reflects your brand
The great thing about burritos is that they’re relatively simple to make and don’t require an enormous amount of kitchen equipment or space. This ensures that they’re well-suited to pop-up kitchens, kiosks and smaller restaurants, as well as traditional, sit-down locations.
As a franchisor, you’ll have to consider what type of restaurant you want to develop and what options you’re going to offer franchisees. Can they choose between various kinds of restaurant or will they all be the same? Does your preferred franchise unit take the form of a food truck, a takeaway kiosk or an elegant, full-sized restaurant? How you grow is almost as important as where you grow, so it’s important to give this issue careful consideration.
7. Make sure that the business is replicable
Franchising is based on the idea that a business model can be successfully replicated identically across a large geographic area. As your franchise network will start as a single business and grow from there, you’ve got a little time to refine and improve your business model to ensure that it’s replicable in other locations. However, before you begin, it’s important to understand whether the business concept is suitable for franchising at all.
The number of burrito franchises already in operation suggests that this style of food is well-suited to franchising, but it’s essential you test and amend your own business plan.
8. Distinguish yourself from the competition
Finally, it’s vital that you consider how you’re going to distinguish yourself from the competition. While the market is not yet saturated, there are a large number of burrito restaurants in operation, and you’ll need something that gives you the edge. Be it your brand, pricing or killer recipes, you need to stand out if your business is to stand the test of time.
Burrito restaurant franchise opportunities
Saburritos
This Mexican burrito franchise has five locations in Ireland and has adopted the franchise model to expand into the UK and across the globe.
- Becoming a Saburritos franchisee: The brand prides itself on its exciting opportunity to run your own profitable business with a low investment, simple operations and national and local support. You can register your interest online by clicking here.
- How much you need to invest: The initial franchise fee will set you back between €10,000 and €18,000.
- What you get for your investment: You’ll receive support with finding the right location for your business, have access to operations manuals and receive plenty of training, operational support and marketing tools.
>> Read more:
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- American Burger: How To Start Your Own American Burger Restaurant
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Wrapchic
There are currently over 10 Wrapchic stores, in nine major UK cities and Dubai. The company was born from a passion for heritage and food innovation, and to bring Indian food into the “21st century format”. Striving to be the most loved burrito brand across the globe, Wrapchic merges classic Indian dishes with the traditional burrito.
- How much you need to invest: If you like the sound of this franchise and the opportunity to offer a unique product that diverges from what we typically think burritos will contain, you can click here to find out more about the investment.
- What you get for your investment: When you join this BFA-accredited franchise, you’ll be supported throughout the set-up process and when you’re up and running. This includes finding the right location and hiring staff.
Start a burrito restaurant
Unfortunately, we don’t have any burrito franchises on our books at the moment but, as you can see, there are other opportunities in the UK. We do, however, have a number of fast food restaurant franchises that you can browse. Click here to get started.
Becky Martin, writer