Archive · 29 Sep 2025
California Burrito's Expansion: From Bengaluru to Pan-India Success
Imagine a restaurant that serves delicious burritos, tacos, and bowls like the ones you might find in California.
That's California Burrito!
It all started when a student noticed how much Indian and Mexican food have in common.
He and his friends started a restaurant in Bengaluru in 2012.
They raised money, and faced challenges like figuring out how to get the right ingredients and teaching people how to eat burritos.
They focused on keeping the flavors traditional.
Today, they have a hundred stores across India.
They kept prices affordable and plan to open even more stores, and they're also thinking about going international.
California Burrito was founded in 2012 by Bert Mueller, Dharam Khalsa, and Gaelan Connell in Bengaluru.
The founders invested personal savings and raised $250,000 to launch the first outlet.
The initial menu focused on rice bowls, tacos, burritos, and salads with in-house guacamole and salsa.
The company expanded, opening 100 stores and generating Rs 196 crore in revenue in FY24.
The company aims to grow to 300 stores in India and expand internationally.
- Who
- California Burrito (founded by Bert Mueller, Dharam Khalsa, and Gaelan Connell)
- What
- A quick service restaurant chain offering Mexican-inspired food.
- When
- Founded in 2012, with revenue of Rs 196 crore as of FY24.
- Where
- Started in Bengaluru, now operating across India and planning international expansion.
- Why
- To introduce burritos and Mexican-inspired food to the Indian market.
- Founded
- 2012
- Founders
- Bert Mueller, Dharam Khalsa, Gaelan Connell
- Initial Investment
- $250,000
- First Location
- Bengaluru's Embassy Gold Links
- Current Revenue (FY24)
- Rs 196 crore
- Current Store Count
- 100