Fast food chain Guzman y Gomez opened its first store 12 years ago in central Sydney.

Now, the Mexican food group has stores nationwide and in Japan and Singapore.

Next step for Guzman y Gomez is the homeland of the owner, the US.

Founder Steven Marks left his top job at a hedge fund in New York just before the Global Financial Crisis.

He tells Ross Greenwood the idea came when he began to miss Mexican food after moving to Australia.

“The Mexican food I was eating here was horrible.”

“When you see the opportunity to change something and reintroduce something, you’ve got to go for it.

“We brought in Mexican chefs. We served real Mexican food and the Australians didn’t have a clue what we were doing.”

While Mr Marks admits “it was very dark days” initially, he puts his success down to the authenticity of the brand.

“We never ever comprised on our food or our people.”

Click PLAY below to hear the full interview 

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