California Burrito (India)

Last updated
California Burrito
Company type Private
Industry Restaurants
Genre Fast casual restaurant
Founded2012;13 years ago (2012)
(Bangalore, Karnataka, India)
Founder
Headquarters Indiranagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Number of locations
103 (2025)
Area served
Products
Number of employees
1405 (2024)
Website californiaburrito.in

California Burrito (established in 2012) is an Indian fast-casual restaurant chain specialising in Mexican cuisine, including burritos, tacos, bowls, salads, and nachos. Founded in 2012 by American entrepreneur Bert Mueller, along with Dharam Khalsa and Gaelan Connell, the chain introduced California-style Mexican cuisine to India, emphasising fresh, customisable, and sustainably sourced ingredients tailored to vegetarian, vegan, and paleo diets.

Contents

As of 2025, California Burrito operates over 100 stores across Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, and Chennai.

History

California Burrito was founded in 2012 by Bert Mueller, Dharam Khalsa, founder of Mirador and Gaelan Connell inspired by Mueller’s study abroad experience in Jaipur in 2010, where he observed a lack of Mexican cuisine in India. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

In October 2012, after completing his studies in the United States, Mueller returned to India with $250,000 from personal connections and the founders’ savings to open the first outlet at Embassy Golf Links in Bangalore. [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]

The outlet averaged 150 orders per hour in its first three months without official marketing, and generated 0.5 million dollars in revenue in the first year. [13] [14] [15]

In 2013, the chain raised $750,000 from angel investor Adhvith Dhuddu, enabling expansion to 15 outlets using a company-owned, company-operated (COCO) model. [13] [16]

In September 2016, the company received its second round of investment of INR 8 crore from the same investor. [17]

In 2020, it had 37 stores and ₹4 crore in monthly revenue before a COVID-19-induced dip to ₹25 lakh. [18]

In 2024, California Burrito reported $23 million in revenue according to a CNBC report. [3] [19] [20] [21]

In 2025, California Burrito launched its 100th store. [22] [23] [24] [25]

California Burrito offers a customisable "make-it-yourself" menu inspired by San Francisco’s Mission District burrito joints, featuring burritos, tacos, rice bowls, salads, and nachos. [26] [27]

The chain emphasises fresh, sustainably sourced ingredients, adapting Mexican cuisine to Indian preferences with vegetarian, vegan, and paleo options, such as BBQ paneer, chipotle chicken, and crispy mushroom. [8] [28]

The company collaborates with Indian farmers to cultivate Hass avocados, tomatillos, black beans, pinto beans, and chipotle chilies. [2] [29]

Tortillas are made from nixtamalised corn and refined wheat flour, likened to "corn chapatis" to resonate with Indian customers. [8]

California Burrito also caters to corporate clients, including Zynga, and maintains a COCO model instead of franchising. [30]

In 2024, the chain employed 1,405 staff and served an average of 2,404 burritos and 4,321 tacos daily. [8] [16]

The chain is reportedly planning to launch an IPO. [31]

Locations

As of 2025, California Burrito operates 103 outlets with about 2000 employees across six Indian cities: Bangalore (its headquarters), Hyderabad, Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, and Chennai. [14] [32] [33]

Key openings include the 50th store in Chennai in 2023 and the 100th store in Bangalore in 2024. [3] [34]

The chain targets urban, cosmopolitan areas with high IT professional and student populations, and plans to reach 300 outlets by 2030 including expansions into Mumbai and Pune. [35] [13] [36]

Reception

California Burrito has been praised for introducing authentic Mexican cuisine to India and its cultural adaptation, particularly its vegetarian options and local sourcing. [37] [29]

ThePrint highlighted founder Bert Mueller’s integration into Bangalore’s culture, dubbing him an "American Marwari" for his frugality and Kannada fluency. [38] [8]

Forbes India noted its post-COVID recovery and ₹110 crore revenue in 2021, crediting Mueller’s focus on fresh ingredients. [2]

Times Now described it as a "200-crore food empire," emphasizing its appeal to health-conscious urban consumers. [18]

References

  1. "Meet Mirador". Mirador. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
  2. 1 2 3 Singh, Rajiv (8 November 2021). "Welcome to Motel California: Bert Muller, Burrito, and India". Forbes India . Retrieved 7 May 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 Shrikant, Aditi (2025-04-26). "35-year-old left the U.S. for India 13 years ago to open a Southern California-style burrito restaurant: 'I never felt like quitting'". CNBC . Retrieved 2025-07-03.
  4. Kakwani, Jigyasa; Bhatnagar, Shubham (28 April 2025). "How A 35-Year-Old American Turned Burritos Into A Million-dollar Business In India". NDTV . Retrieved 2025-07-03.
  5. Ahmed, Rumman (2012-10-01). "Bringing the Burrito to Bangalore". Wall Street Journal. ISSN   0099-9660 . Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  6. Rai, Saritha (2012-09-03). "Bangalore set to get a taste of Mexico via three Americans". The Indian Express . Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  7. Chari, Prakruthi (2023-12-31). "Eating Biriyani With My Hand - It Made Me Truly Indian: California Burrito Founder". Center for Soft Power. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Poovanna, Sharan (2023-09-08). "An American 'marwari', tequila, Ambareesh – California Burrito's origin story in Bengaluru". ThePrint . Retrieved 2025-05-07.
  9. "California Burrito founder relishes jolada rotti thali in Bengaluru, internet approves: 'More Indian than us'". Moneycontrol . 30 July 2025.
  10. Ghosh, Aparna (11 June 2014). "Foreign entrepreneurs jump into India's start-up mix". Live Mint .
  11. "How this 35-year-old American built one of India's most famous restaurant chains". The Times of India. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  12. "This 22-year-old left California for Bengaluru in 2012 — Now he owns a 100-restaurant chain generating a $23 million business". The Economic Times. 2025-04-28. ISSN   0013-0389 . Retrieved 2025-08-16.
  13. 1 2 3 "From A Maruti Omni To 50+ Outlets, The Growth Story Of California Burrito In India". News18 . 29 April 2025. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
  14. 1 2 Afreen, Afreen (2025-04-29). "Learn culture of place: California Burrito founder calls Kannada wonderful language". India Today . Retrieved 2025-07-03.
  15. Thakur, Anjali (29 April 2025). ""India Feels Like Home": US Man Builds Rs 196 Crore Burrito Empire In Bengaluru". NDTV . Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  16. 1 2 "California Burrito - 2025 Company Profile & Team - Tracxn". tracxn.com. 2025-06-19. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
  17. Chitra, Rachel (2018-10-14). "PITCH PROBLEMS: Jargon threw us off our game, says California Burrito's Bert Mueller". The Times of India . ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  18. 1 2 Singh, Priyadarshini (2024-10-22). "From Music Student to Food Mogul: How Bert Mueller Built A Rs 200 Crore Food Empire In India". Times Now . Retrieved 2025-07-03.
  19. Thadhagath, Pathi Venkata (2025-07-29). "American CEO Bret Mueller digs into North Karnataka's Jolada Rotti meal in Bengaluru, calls it 'wholesome and healthy'". Hindustan Times . Retrieved 2025-08-09.
  20. "This 35-year-old left the US for India to start a 'Cali-style' burritos business — now it brings in $23M/year". Yahoo Finance. Archived from the original on 2025-06-06. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
  21. "22 साल की उम्र में अमेरिकी लड़का आया था भारत, बना डाला 190 करोड़ का मेक्सिकन फूड चेन". News18 हिंदी (in Hindi). 2025-06-22. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
  22. "California Burrito set to open 100th store". retail4growth.com. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
  23. MediaInfoline (2025-02-10). "California Burrito celebrates 100th Store Milestone, Expands". Media Infoline. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
  24. Sharma, Rishabh (11 February 2025). "California Burrito Expands to 100 Stores in India with Bengaluru Opening". Restaurant India. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
  25. Shrikant, Aditi (2025-05-02). "U.S. expat who opened a burrito chain in India that brings in $23 million a year: My No. 1 mistake". CNBC. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  26. "Best Mexican restaurant near you for Bowls & Burritos | California Burrito". www.californiaburrito.in. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
  27. Khan, Bushra (2025-02-11). "Tacos, Burritos and more for just Rs 100 at this Hyderabad cafe". The Siasat Daily. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  28. राज, ऋषभ (2025-05-05). "22 साल की उम्र में अमेरिका से भारत आया, बेंगलुरु में रेस्टोरेंट खोला और अब कंपनी ने एक साल में कमाए ₹196 करोड़ - inspiring journey of burt mueller california burrito founder in india". बिज़नेस स्टैंडर्ड (in Hindi). Retrieved 2025-08-16.
  29. 1 2 Chari, Prakruthi (2023-12-31). "Eating Biriyani With My Hand - It Made Me Truly Indian: California Burrito Founder". Center for Soft Power. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
  30. Abhishek; Abheet. "American founder building ₹100 Crore Burrito empire in India". shorts.growthx.club. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
  31. "भारत में बिजनेस करना कितना आसान, कितना मुश्किल, इस अमेरिकी से जानिए". News18 हिंदी (in Hindi). 2025-04-30. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
  32. Kurian, Anila (8 August 2016). "'I think I fit in here quite well'". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  33. "'The new American dream': Meet the US expat who built a $23M food business in India". Hindustan Times. 2025-05-05. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
  34. "California Burrito Celebrates 100th Store Milestone". BW Retail World. 2025-02-11. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
  35. www.ETHospitalityWorld.com. "California Burrito celebrates 100th store milestone, expands footprint in India - ET HospitalityWorld". ETHospitalityWorld.com. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
  36. "California Burrito aims to triple its store count to 300 by 2030". India Retailing. 2025-02-11. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
  37. "From college curiosity to culinary empire: The rise of California Burrito in India". The Times of India. 2025-05-05. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 2025-07-03.
  38. "'Kannada is a beautiful language': California Burrito founder has an advice to those moving to Karnataka". Hindustan Times. 2025-04-29. Retrieved 2025-07-03.