Bert Mueller landed in Bengaluru at 22 and turned a single burrito joint into California Burrito’s 100-plus-store Mexican fast-casual empire across India.
Expect candid takes on staffing, frugality-over-VC cash, mall vs. airport launches, and why a 2030 IPO dream keeps him obsessing over beans, bowls, and burrito-worthy value.
Chapters
- 0:00 – Trailer & Chain Reactions
- 2:50 – Indian Consumer Fit
- 4:00 – Operations & Freshness
- 6:30 – Organization & Leadership
- 8:30 – Tech, Delivery & App Strategy
- 10:30 – Long-Term Vision
- 12:00 – Early Fundraising Journey
- 14:30 – Focus Over Distraction
- 16:30 – Personal Ties to Mexico
- 18:30 – Delivery & Platform Commissions
- 20:30 – ONDC & Market Disruption
- 22:30 – Indian Consumers & Value Expectations
- 24:30 – Growth Strategy: Pune, Not Mumbai
- 27:00 – Going Global? Not Yet
- 28:30 – Lessons From Doing Business in India
- 30:00 – Straight Talk & Core Values
- 32:00 – Co-Founders & Early Struggles
- 34:30 – Staying Scrappy, Not VC-Backed
- 36:00 – Choosing Cities & Formats
- 38:30 – International Expansion & Franchising
- 40:30 – Adapting to Indian Business Culture
- 43:00 – First Betrayal & Lessons on Trust
- 44:30 – Resilience & Delusional Optimism
- 46:00 – Marketing Learnings Post-COVID
- 47:30 – Indian Holidays & Food Occasions
- 49:00 – Racism, Etiquette & Cultural Fit
- 51:00 – Corruption, Compliance & “Let India Be India”
- 53:00 – Advice to His 22-Year-Old Self
Connect
- Bert Mueller
- Vihaan Khanna
- Subah Wadhwani
Email: [email protected]
Start your podcast: https://atomikgrowth.com
