· Zambrero celebrates 20 years of impact Weds 31 December with 100 million meals donated
· The Cronulla and Sutherland community has contributed almost 200,000 meals to that global total, making the region an important part of Zambrero’s impact story.
31 December 2025: When Dr Sam Prince opened a small Mexican restaurant in Canberra 20 years ago today (31 December), the idea that a fast-casual food business could balance social impact with commercial success was met with deep scepticism.
At the time, few believed a purpose-led model could survive in a highly competitive sector, let alone scale.
Two decades on, Zambrero is a global franchise success operating across Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland and the United States, with communities in Cronulla and the Sutherland Shire playing a meaningful role in helping prove the model works.
This December also saw the Canberra-founded brand reach another major milestone, surpassing 100 million meals donated to people in need through Zambrero’s global Plate 4 Plate initiative.
The Cronulla and Sutherland community has contributed almost 200,000 meals to that global total, making the region an important part of Zambrero’s impact story.
Dr Prince said the milestone was less about celebration and more about evidence.
“When Zambrero started in Canberra, the idea that a food business could make a real difference while also succeeding commercially had very few believers,” he said.
“Twenty years on, reaching 100 million plates shows that the model works when it’s built properly. What began here has grown into a global franchise because customers and franchise partners backed the idea and proved it could scale.”
Zambrero CEO Daryl McCormack said the business’s longevity reflected the discipline applied to the business model.
“Zambrero didn’t grow because it was idealistic. It grew because the fundamentals stacked up,” he said.
“Purpose was embedded from the beginning, but it’s operational discipline, franchise economics and consistent execution that have allowed the business to scale from Canberra to multiple international markets and sustain that growth over 20 years.”
As part of its 20-year milestone, Zambrero recently gave away 100,000 burritos globally to celebrate reaching 100 million meals donated through its Plate 4 Plate initiative, with each burrito triggering an additional meal donation and adding another 100,000 meals to the tally.
A community-powered mission
Great-tasting food with bold flavours and fresh ingredients is only one part of Zambrero’s story. The other part? Helping end world hunger.
Through the Plate 4 Plate initiative, every time a customer orders a regular or big burrito, bowl, Kids Zam Box or retail item, a meal is donated to someone in need. Working with distribution partners including Rise Against Hunger, Love Mercy Foundation and Foodbank, Zambrero has now donated more than 100 million meals, with the number growing every day.
Karim Messih traded his role as chief of executive of the company for a Zambrero franchise in 2020 and hasn't looked back.
He now owns two restaurants in Cronulla and Sutherland, one at Majura Park in the ACT and has another about to open in the ACT.
Through Sutherland and Cronulla, Mr Messih's restaurants have donated more than 199,000 meals to Plate 4 Plate as its global total has hit 100 million.
"The best thing about Plate 4 Plate is we don't ask for a donation, we just ask people to buy our food and we make a donation. Store by store it all adds up.”
"I was fortunate enough to go on one of our first vision trips to Vietnam about five years ago and I actually watched as our food came off the trucks and was taken to the villages. Seeing the children's eyes light up as they ate the food was one of the best things I've seen in my life.''
Mr Messih said Plate 4 Plate will just keep growing. "There is no end. We've got over 300 restaurants now and even when we close our doors in Sydney, our restaurants around the world and the Plate 4 Plate count keeps ticking up.''
About us:
About Zambrero:
Zambrero is Feel Good Mex. A restaurant franchise serving fresh and Mexican-inspired food, with a humanitarian enterprise at its heart. Zambrero is committed to helping end world hunger through its Plate 4 Plate initiative, which donates a meal to someone in need with every burrito or bowl purchased.
Zambrero was founded in Canberra, Australia, in 2005 by Dr Sam Prince, who was a 21-year-old medical student at the time. He has grown the brand to be Australia’s largest Mexican group, with now over 300 restaurants across all Australian states and the globe in the US, United Kingdom, Ireland and New Zealand.
For more information, visit zambrero.com.au
About Plate 4 Plate:
Zambrero’s mission is to help end world hunger through its Plate 4 Plate initiative. With every regular burrito or bowl purchased, a meal is donated to someone in need through its partners at Rise Against Hunger, Love Mercy and Foodbank.
Since its inception, the company has donated over 100 million meals.
Visit zambrero.com.au/plate4plate
Contact details:
For media enquiries, please contact LJ Loch at [email protected] or 0488 038 555
