I recently went one-on-one with Abhishek Mediratta, founder of Fresh Burrito.

Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks, or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth? 

Abhishek: I moved to Canada in 2004 from India as a student. As I was working at a local pub to get some extra cash, I realized I enjoyed the restaurant world. I quickly became the manager at the pub and started learning more but life came calling. To find my footing, I took up a corporate job in banking for a few years but my passion didn’t fade. So, I started managing a restaurant franchise for a big chain at the time. After running it successfully for four years, the company had other plans in mind and the restaurant shut down. But that’s how Fresh Burrito was born. We launched in 2015, offering fresh and flavourful Mexican cuisine. Today, we have grown to over 30 locations. I have frequently worked extremely long hours rarely taking any time off. I remember when I started out there were days when I was working for over 14 hours a day, figuring out the next move for the business. The pandemic was another challenging time. For the success of the business, I worked throughout the pandemic without taking a single day off. Along with this, we entered the market at a time when there were established players with loyal customer bases and ample resources. We had to find a unique proposition to catch the customers’ attention! But overall, this journey has been very rewarding since I got to pursue my passion and true calling, which was building a successful restaurant business. The role of an entrepreneur has also given me countless networking opportunities that I truly cherish. 

Adam: How did you come up with your business idea? What advice do you have for others on how to come up with great ideas? 

Abhishek: During my early days in Canada, I was living alone and didn’t have much time to cook. So, I was eating wraps frequently for my daily meals. Since they aren’t the healthiest option, I saw a gap in the market – what if we could create healthy and fresh wraps? A popular chain at the time was advertising fresh ingredients but when I went in, barely anything was fresh. So, I decided to create Fresh Burrito – Mexican food with fresh ingredients. From meats, vegetables to sauces, everything is fresh! For anyone who is looking to start something of their own, I would say stay curious and look around yourself. What’s your biggest problem on a daily basis? Can you solve it? First, solve it for yourself before you even imagine building business ideas around it. Don’t worry about whether the ideas are good or bad and don’t be afraid to experiment. Moreover, be persistent! The more you work towards it, the better you will become at it. 

The last thing I would say is don’t get attached or addicted to the results and the destination. Chances are it will be half of what you are picturing it to be. Success isn’t all glamorous and the sooner you can understand that, the easier your life as an entrepreneur will be. It’s more important to feel committed to the process than the outcome of that idea. This will give you the energy to keep going every day. 

Adam: How did you know your business idea was worth pursuing? What advice do you have on how to best test a business idea? 

Abhishek: I started my entrepreneurial journey by investing in an American food franchise and running that restaurant gave me practical knowledge about this industry. I learned everything from operations, the right business model, investment requirements, and legalities. Along with this and more importantly, I had understood the demand in the market. This cemented my belief in my idea, and my real-time experience drove me to build something of my own. It’s ironic that we opened Fresh Burrito’s first-ever location in the same place where the previous restaurant had shut down. I had a relationship with the property owner and convinced him that we will thrive. This was because it was an ideal location and I had seen firsthand the type of traffic it would get. So, my best advice to test a business idea would be to know your target audience, analyze your ideas continuously, take risks, and be open to change.  

Adam: What are the key steps you have taken to grow your business? What advice do you have for others on how to take their businesses to the next level?

Abhishek: First, I learned everything about the industry and the business through hands-on experience. Our journey began with a single location, funded entirely through reinvesting profits rather than external borrowing. We were able to grow from that to multiple locations because we stayed true to our brand and followed the golden rule of a franchise business – scalability. In this model, you have to be able to duplicate everything from recipes, menu, cleaning SOPs, staff training and development, billing, and everything else. So, I always kept my focus clear. Once we had these things set in stone, I moved to other important parts like sales and marketing to grow the business. I also delved into data analytics because I wanted to understand how we can use that to understand customers’ preferences and serve them better. I also made sure that my team felt valued and cared for. They are the ones really running the business. So, it is always crucial to me that my employees have a solid communication system and feel satisfied. That’s the only way they can offer remarkable service. Moreover, we value our client relationships, prioritize their needs, and stay focused on building a community. I had to follow a diverse approach to maintaining consistency in the business and having systems in place has helped us scale many folds. That would be my advice to others as well. 

Adam: What are your best sales and marketing tips?

Abhishek: Traditional marketing doesn't work anymore. In the earlier days, we used to distribute coupons but that doesn't excite people much now. We are concentrated across the Greater Toronto Area and Ontario areas but trying to build a strong brand identity nationally.  Promotions of special days work really well like meat of the day and valued meals help us drive in-store sales. We also get a great push through platforms like DoorDash, UberEats, and others. Social media marketing also worked for us in the past and continues to have great potential, especially with the boom of influencers and creators. It doesn't promise sales every time but does create visibility for the brand. So, there isn’t a single sales and marketing tip for a single business because you have to experiment and see what works for your brand and the industry you operate in. It can feel exhausting and you might feel lost in the marketing world but that’s really the only way to try it out and you will eventually find success.

Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level? 

Abhishek: While I am still learning every day, I believe effective leadership is a combination of key qualities like a clear and inspiring vision, strong communication skills, integrity, empathy for others, decisiveness, and accountability. Aspiring and current leaders can take their skills to the next level by actively seeking feedback, being self-aware, practicing good and intentional listening, delegating effectively, and taking calculated risks. Being a great leader isn’t that far off from being a great human. So, don’t overcomplicate it. 

• People and partners in a business will remember you for your personality, so leaders should be focused on developing that. 

• A clear and inspiring vision provides direction and energizes the team, while strong communication skills ensure understanding and foster open dialogue. 

• Empathy allows leaders to connect with their team on a human level, fostering trust and collaboration.

• Decisiveness enables timely and well-informed action, and accountability ensures ownership and responsibility. 

Aspiring and current leaders can further develop these skills by actively seeking feedback, practicing self-awareness, honing their listening skills, delegating effectively, and taking calculated risks. Focusing on personal development and cultivating these qualities will leave a lasting positive impact on those you lead.

Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading, and managing teams?

Abhishek: Building, leading, and managing effective teams requires a lot from the leader. It begins with carefully getting the team together, defining clear roles, prioritizing diversity and inclusion, and hiring individuals with the right attitude and potential. My best advice would be to invest in your teams’ training and once you have them, you make sure you retain them. You can’t be there for your team 24/7, so you have to make sure to have a good team of people who are reliable and accountable but also feel satisfied in their work. When hiring, you should always explain your vision and see if potential teams can relate to it. That’s how they will feel invested in the business’s goals and deliver to the customers. Employee satisfaction matters in every business, even if you are in the QSR industry, as their service and satisfaction pass on to the customers. Above all, continuous self-development as a leader, adaptability, empathy, and creating a positive work environment are essential. Leadership is a journey, and consistent effort towards these principles will cultivate high-performing and fulfilled teams. 

Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives, and civic leaders?

Abhishek: 

1. Find the right people for your team: People are the soul of your business. For any enterprise to run successfully, it is important to look for people who align with your brand values, have an entrepreneurial outlook and a positive mindset. This ensures consistency in business operations and helps ingrain the same passion and commitment.

2. Practice effective leadership: As a leader, you must be there for your team. They  need your support, thorough communication, training, and proper guidance. Build a strong relationship with your team members and be the kind of leader you would want to follow.

3. Consistency is key: Consistent quality is essential for success across various leadership roles. You must prioritize the quality of your product or service through well-defined standards. Consistency is how customers will remember you and come back to you. So, focus on being consistent yourself then transfer that same belief to your team so they can transport it to the customers. 

 Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received? 

Abhishek: My decade-long journey building Fresh Burrito, like that of any entrepreneur, has been filled with never-ending lessons. I had heard this many years ago and it has stayed for over 30 years now - Winners don't do different things, they do things differently. I interpreted this to mean that the solution always lies in your perspective and a mindset shift can change everything. This is particularly crucial when facing challenges, which there’s no getting away from as an entrepreneur. Our natural tendency might be to feel defeated, give up, or to try the same solutions repeatedly without any different results. So, what I learned is: when you’re stuck, think of creative solutions. They almost always exist and are actually right around the corner. 

Adam: Is there anything else you would like to share?

Abhishek: One last tip would be to invest in legal expertise. Hiring a franchise lawyer or a legal counsel to seek guidance goes a long way. It ensures smooth operations and might be of help during crisis situations. It also teaches you the importance of foresight. 


Adam Mendler is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker, educator, and nationally recognized authority on leadership. Adam is the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one-on-one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal-winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities, and non-profit organizations. Adam has written extensively on leadership and related topics, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. Adam teaches graduate-level courses on leadership at UCLA and is an advisor to numerous companies and leaders. A Los Angeles native, Adam is a lifelong Angels fan and an avid backgammon player.

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