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From Canberra to global growth: Zambrero marks 20 years and 100 million meals donated

Alpha Consult

Key Facts:

·       Zambrero celebrates 20 years of impact today with 100 million meals donated

·       Six Zambrero franchises owned by Scott Chapman, five on the Gold Coast and one on the Sunshine Coast, have contributed more than 1.24 million of those meals, a direct result of the support of the local coast communities.

31 December 2025: When Dr Sam Prince opened a small Mexican restaurant in Canberra 20 years ago today, 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.

This December also saw Zambrero hit another major milestone: more than 100 million meals donated to people in need through Zambrero’s global Plate 4 Plate initiative.

The Gold and Sunshine Coast communities have played a vital role in helping Zambrero reach a major global milestone:

Six Zambrero franchises owned by Scott Chapman, five on the Gold Coast and one on the Sunshine Coast, have contributed more than 1.24 million of those meals, a direct result of the support of the local coast communities.

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.

Scott Chapman’s Zambrero restaurants have donated 1,243,000 meals to the Plate 4 Plate initiative over the past 11 years, thanks to strong local support.

"The Plate 4 Plate initiative was one of the main reasons we decided to go for Zambrero. It's all about the fact that wew are able to offer great food to our customers and save lives at the same time which makes it so special.

"I went to Kenya last year and distributed meals to people in need and seeing Plate 4 Plate in action is an unforgettable experience, its great to see that what we do on a day to day basis is actually changing lives'' Mr Chapman said.

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