How American Entrepreneur Bert Mueller Built A Burrito Empire In India
India-West News Desk
BENGALURU – In a land long dominated by burgers, pizzas, and fried chicken, one American entrepreneur is winning hearts—and taste buds—with burritos. Meet Bert Mueller, the 35-year-old founder of California Burrito, a thriving fast-food chain that has brought the bold flavors of Mexican cuisine to the Indian palate—and turned into a million-dollar business in the process.
California Burrito is now a familiar name in urban India, known for its fresh burritos, rice bowls, tacos, salads, and nachos. But its story began with a chance cultural encounter in Jaipur in 2010, when Mueller participated in a six-month study abroad program. Living with a local family, he developed a deep appreciation for Indian culture—and an eye for untapped market potential.
“I realized that while global fast food had made its mark here, Mexican food was almost entirely missing,” Mueller said in a podcast with Canadian expat Caleb Friesen. “We wanted to change that.”
Back in the U.S., Mueller teamed up with friends Dharam Khalsa and Gaelan Draper. Each co-founder pitched in $15,000 and chronicled their startup dreams on a Tumblr blog. The digital diary resonated—family and friends rallied with an additional $250,000, and California Burrito was born.
Initially eyeing Gurugram, the trio pivoted to Bengaluru, a city known for its cosmopolitan crowd and bustling tech parks. Their first restaurant opened at Embassy GolfLinks Tech Park, across from the Goldman Sachs office, in a modest setup that quickly became a lunchtime hotspot.
In those early days, Mueller and Draper donned aprons to serve customers themselves. When it came to ingredients, Mueller wasn’t behind a desk—he was in a Maruti Omni van, driving to local markets twice a week to personally procure supplies. That scrappy, hands-on approach became a hallmark of the brand.
“We weren’t just building a menu,” Mueller recalled to CNBC. “We were building a system that had to make business sense. Our focus was always on strong unit economics.”
Their efforts paid off. With two more stores under their belt, the founders landed a $750,000 funding round in 2013, led by entrepreneur and angel investor Adhvith Dhuddu. This allowed California Burrito to scale quickly—expanding to 15 outlets, all company-owned and operated.
By February 2020, California Burrito was booming, recording Rs 4 crore in revenue across 37 outlets in a single month. Now, the chain boasts over 50 locations spread across Bengaluru, Delhi NCR, Hyderabad, and Chennai.
Though the journey from Jaipur homestay to national food empire may seem unlikely, Mueller
hasn’t just brought Mexican food to India—he’s created a cultural crossover, proving that bold ideas, when wrapped in purpose and served with passion, can go a long way.
