From Kitchen Dreams to QSR Success: How Abhishek Mediratta Built Adobo Fresh Burrito Into a 36-Location Empire

When Abhishek Mediratta started working part-time at a local pub in Canada back in 2004, he discovered more than just a job – he found his true calling in the restaurant industry. Rising through the ranks from kitchen management to entrepreneurship, Mediratta’s journey exemplifies how passion combined with persistence can transform a single restaurant concept into a thriving business empire. In 2015, he launched Adobo Fresh Burrito, and today, his vision of serving fresh, authentic Mexican cuisine has materialized into a successful quick-service restaurant chain with 36 locations across Canada.

In an exclusive interview with Entrepreneur Loop, Mediratta shares his remarkable journey of building a successful QSR brand, discussing everything from his initial challenges of draining savings to create his dream to his current focus on technological innovation and franchise optimization. His story is a testament to the power of persistence, authenticity, and the unwavering belief in delivering quality to customers.

A short quote summarizing your entrepreneurial journey or advice.

I heard this 30 years ago and it has stayed with me since then – “Winners don’t do different things, they do things differently.” The journey of starting Fresh Burrito, almost 10 years ago, and turning it into a successful business with multiple locations came with a great deal of challenges and an even greater learning. This experience reinforced the truth of that statement! Achieving your dreams never happens in a straight line. One should be prepared for the bumps along the way, take them in their stride, and have fun while at it!

Please provide a brief introduction of yourself and your professional background.

After moving to Canada in 2004, I discovered my passion for the restaurant business. I was working part-time at a local pub while  still in college. I learned the ropes there and quickly started managing their kitchen. After that, I also ran a franchise successfully for almost 4 years. Then in 2015, I took the big leap and opened Fresh Burrito, a restaurant concept focused on fresh, flavorful Mexican cuisine. What started as a small eatery has now become a local favourite.

What inspired you to start your own business? What was the “aha” moment?

Fueled by a passion for serving the right food, I recognized a market opportunity and demand for fresh, high-quality options. From my personal experience, I heavily relied on wraps for meals and observed a demand for convenient and appetising yet healthy alternatives.

Since I started Fresh Burrito, I have been committed to serving my customers quality food, prepared with the fresh ingredients be it meats, salsa, veggies and so on. I observed a famous sandwich chain that emphasized how fresh their ingredients were. But I saw that other than vegetables, none of their ingredients were fresh. That’s the gap I wanted to meet, and today, we are known for our fresh meals.

What have been some of the toughest decisions you’ve had to make as a founder?

I started out by draining my savings and venturing outside my comfort zone to borrow funds from various sources. This was my toughest decision. But I firmly believed in the business and was willing to take significant risks. The initial phase was challenging with mundane everyday tasks, long working hours, and a worrisome burden of managing finances. Discouraged by initial setbacks and the lack of immediate results, I faced the challenging choice of maintaining my regular job while simultaneously striving to keep a new business afloat with Fresh Burrito. The decisions I made during this phase were the hardest.

What have been your key strategies for growth and gaining traction/users?

Simplicity and honesty have been my key drivers for growth. We prioritize transparency in all our dealings, especially with franchisees. Our business model is designed for ease of operation, minimizing complexity for our partners. We believe in straightforward and honest relationships even with our customers. Hence, we have a simple menu, consistent taste, and focus on quick and quality service.

What have been some mistakes or failures you’ve made along the way as an Entrepreneur? How did you recover and learn from them?

When I started Fresh Burrito, I had limited knowledge about franchising and learned the intricacies of the system through hands-on experience. In hindsight, I might have benefited from hiring someone with prior franchise expertise. Our journey began with a single store, funded entirely through reinvesting profits rather than heavy external borrowing. While our branding has evolved over time, we learnt the value of authenticity. It is essential for the brand to resonate with the audience and offer them what they really want. We could have benefited from investing more in our initial brand building. But it’s never too late. To reach the next level of our business, we are branding to reach the younger audience, the Gen Zs, and cater to a wider market.

What do you know now that you wish you knew when you were first starting out?

Scaling a business often requires partnering with successful distributors. Effective marketing, particularly strong brand positioning, is crucial for growth. While we initially relied on basic tools, investing in the latest technology can really help strengthen efficiency across all areas, from operations and marketing to data analysis. This is especially critical considering the potential impact of a single poor decision on employees and their families. Along with this, leveraging technology for customer data collection and analysis is essential for understanding customer needs and tailoring our offerings accordingly.

What are the most important skills someone needs to be a successful founder, in your opinion?

I believe that great success stories are a combination of discipline, a positive mindset, and constant self-belief. If we focus on this, it manifests into consistent hard work and gradual results. Maintaining a positive outlook is crucial; allowing negativity to creep in and accepting mediocrity are detrimental to the progress of business. Ultimately, believing in your own abilities is very important to overcome challenges and self-doubt.

What does a typical day or week look like for you? How do you manage work life Balance?

At the moment, we are focusing on optimising smooth operations of our established franchises over expansion. A typical week for me includes attending partner meetings, resolving supplier and vendor challenges, and continuously seeking ways to improve our operations. Simultaneously, we are actively exploring new marketing channels to increase customer engagement and reach out to a wider audience. Recognizing the current market uncertainty, we are also focused on creating a positive and motivated work environment for our teams. To gain deeper insights into customer needs and employee workflows, I regularly visit our stores in Canada. In the coming months, we are working on implementing an online ghost kitchen concept to empower our franchisees and generate additional revenue streams, to also help mitigate the impact of market downturns.

What do you find most rewarding and most challenging about being an entrepreneur?

One of the most rewarding aspects of this role has been the flexibility and a sense of freedom, even during demanding periods like expansion phases that often involve 14-hour work days. I have been committed to my business since day one even if it required for me to work throughout the pandemic without taking a single day off. Moreover, the role of an entrepreneur has given me great networking opportunities, where I had the chance to connect with other franchisees and learn from their experiences. These interactions with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures, gave me invaluable insights that I take forward on my journey.

For me, prioritizing franchisee success is crucial and can sometimes feel challenging because you must keep the bigger picture in mind at all times. I understand that their success is directly linked to my own, and I feel a deep sense of responsibility towards their well-being. To ensure their success, I prioritize their needs above my own challenges. This requires a strong focus on the team and their invaluable contributions, as their efforts directly contribute to the overall success of the entire franchise system.