Lithgow has welcomed a new fast food outlet in its takeaway precinct on the Great Western Highway with hungry eyes. But Zambrero Mexican offers more than just burritos for your buck.
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Each meal purchased at the store goes towards donating food to those who cannot afford it.
The Zambrero franchise has partnered with food charity ‘Rise Against Hunger’ in order to deliver a meal to an impoverished community for every meal purchased in the store.
The meals are distributed through schools in communities throughout Asia and Africa. The Zambrero tag line is ‘One burrito equals one meal donated’.
The Lithgow branch owner, Mina Barsoum, opened the new restaurant on Wednesday, May 17, in a refurbished heritage church on the Great Western Highway, right next McDonalds.
“It’s been a big job doing the fit out because the building is heritage listed but it’s just been about negotiating and making sure it was constructed right,” Mr Barsoum said.
He hopes Zambrero’s social enterprise model will provide a strong point of difference with other takeaway restaurants in town.
“Already Zambrero franchises have donated over 14 million meals since 2011. It definitely gives us an edge with customers,” he said.
“We’ve been here with training the staff since last Monday, I think all of them are Lithgow based.”
More than a dozen customers were present for lunch at the restaurant on Wednesday, including Ethan McMullen, Kel Lampton and Ryan Cook.
“It’s lovely and fresh, which is more of what I need,” Mr Lampton said.
The men found the fact they had donated meals in the process of eating their own burrito “pretty cool”.
