Indian spices in Mexican dishes were a unique cultural fusion cuisine over a decade ago. But a musician turned restaurateur pioneered one of India’s first fusion food movements and built an empire out of his food chain franchise. This is Bert Mueller’s Pan-Indian Mexican food chain story.

Young Mueller landed in Jaipur, India, in 2010 as a music and public policy student, exposed to the culture and vibrancy of the land and the uncanny similarities between Indian and Mexican food. Little did he know that his trip to India would become the home where his dream would take form. His love for Mexican food well matched his liking for Indian culture. During his student days, he observed Indians enjoying Mexican food even when they had their first bite. This dawned upon Mueller that why not bring real Mexican food to India? He is perhaps one of the first to recognize the potential of Mexican cuisine in India.

 

With a passion for Mexican food and experience in the restaurant industry, Bert Mueller hit a homerun with his franchise, California Burrito. In October 2012, he, two pals and a San Francisco-based chef inaugurated Bangalore’s first California Burrito location. Today, Mueller is a ‘Bangalorean’, with his identity deeply linked to the California Burrito network of Mexican restaurants spread throughout India. Today, his more than 50 restaurants in the country sell an average of 2,404 burritos and 4,321 tacos per day.

Bringing the Burrito on the Banana Leaf

When in a foreign land, most young people would have finished what they came for or gotten back home with some experience, a souvenir and a little tale for their family and friends. But not Mueller, though. This was all a start to his idea of operating an American-Mexican restaurant in India as a result of his early arrival.

However, California Burrito flagged off on a rough start, especially with acquiring funding. Mueller began working at a fast-casual Mexican restaurant company in the US to get experience, and he also studied Indian culinary trends and crafted a solid business plan.

Together with his pals, Dharam Khalsa and Gaelan Draper, he began the brand by investing $15,000. Initially, they raised $250,000 and maintained a Tumblr blog as a record of their business journey. This was when they started out in Gurugram, but eventually moved the venture to Bangalore, which had reasonably priced real estate at the time. Without much marketing, its well-planned premiere location, which faced Goldman Sachs, witnessed an astounding 150 transactions per hour in its first few months of operation.

Made the Tortilla an Amigo of the Chapati

Maybe the tortillas and jolad rotti are far cousins. Even Mueller sometimes calls tortillas ‘corn chapatis’. Likewise, Mueller went on to see the similarities between these two probable cousins. Upon discovery, he found three staple foods to be mostly included: corn, rice, and beans, except that meat is consumed less compared to Mexico. Therefore, he had to cut down on the meat to add more vegetarian options in the menu.

In the past, Mueller did try fusing certain Indian and Mexican dishes but made sure that the brand would not do fusion dishes at all. He served a few dishes like the "Burritos of India" in 2014, consisting of flavors like Chettinad and Rogan Josh. Mueller claims that although it sold well, this was not what he had in mind for the franchise. Another was when they tried including a popular ingredient, paneer, the most liked Indian vegetarian dairy product, in rice bowls, nachos, and even tacos.

Brought Ingredients Fresh from the Farm

Mueller sought aid from farmers in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to cultivate specific ingredients, such as tomatillos, jalapeños, and even Haas avocados, to help keep the prices from rising and to maintain the cuisine's authenticity.

More on staying strong with authenticity, Mueller made a number of investments, including buying several Hass avocado trees into the nation in 2019 and planting them on fields in southern India. Today, it sources a fresh supply of these avocados, as they are a vital ingredient in many Mexican dishes. He thanks the farmers for their efforts in this.

The Time of Becoming the Sole Captain of the Brand

Bert was the last remaining captain after Dharam Khalsa and Gaelan Draper left in 2020 and 2014. Then, the pandemic struck hard, affecting monthly sales that dropped from Rs.4 crore to Rs.25 lakh.

Mueller quickly rose to action by obtaining more funding and focused more on the marketing campaign.

 

He changed the approach in October 2021, putting more of an emphasis on product innovation and efficient delivery. They also introduced spicy tacos and fresh ingredients such as Mexican tomatillos.

It's the Hands-On Approach that Distinguished Bert Mueller

Mueller's hands-on approach and attention to providing Indians with a taste of Mexican food distinguish California Burrito. It is said that Mueller used to take up calls from customers, which he believes to have helped him stay grounded and clear of what they want. He handles customer service calls quite often. He claims that this helped him during the Covid-19 pandemic, when most orders were placed through delivery apps, user input also aids in problem solving.

Keen on Making Improvements

Bert Mueller has been known for his keenness to address areas where improvements can be made and for learning from the past. His efforts and the initial help from his pals have made California Burrito greatly build a strong foundation toward a successful future by investing in an efficient supply chain, embracing food aggregators, and stepping up its marketing efforts. Bert Mueller's success with California Burrito is a great illustration of tenacity, flexibility, and dedication to make one’s dreams come true.

The California Burrito brand is thriving, the American dream in India is becoming a reality, there is a growing appreciation for Mexican food in the country's core, and culinary diversity is unifying India. Today, California Burrito is sailing smooth after bouncing back from the pandemic and has regained its footing in the market competition as well. It is probable that its luck spread across India.