The ‘best breakfast burritos’: Guzman y Gomez plans second Naperville restaurant, opens latest in Des Plaines
Guzman y Gomez Mexican Kitchen is the rare fast-casual taco and burrito restaurant that occasionally uses Aussie slang.
Earlier this summer, Guzman y Gomez announced it was extending the hours it serves “Brekkie.” If you’re unfamiliar with the GYG origin story, that cultural mashup might sound like a bit of a head-scratcher.
Turns out Guzman y Gomez got its start in Australia, and last year became a publicly traded company listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. The first U.S. restaurant debuted in Naperville near the East Ogden Avenue corridor. More than five years later, another Guzman y Gomez restaurant is planned for the other side of town.
“A second store will not only provide sales to the southern part of Naperville, but also boost this store on the northern side of the city,” Jason Trombley, head of U.S. development, told Naperville plan commissioners.
A Guzman y Gomez also just opened in Des Plaines near O’Hare International Airport and the Allstate Arena.
“Opening our seventh Chicagoland Guzman y Gomez in Des Plaines is a huge milestone for us,” Guzman y Gomez founder and co-CEO Steven Marks said in a statement. “Guzman y Gomez has a cult following in Australia, and we’re seeing that same momentum here.”
Other restaurants are in Schaumburg, Buffalo Grove, Crystal Lake, Deerfield and Evanston near Northwestern University. The latter is the “first college campus location” of Guzman y Gomez, Marks said.
“We've never been more confident to prove concept in Chicago,” Marks said in an investor presentation earlier this year. “The food is outstanding. We're really investing in labor in our restaurants and operational support above the restaurants just to make sure that … we're delivering that incredible GYG experience.”
Guzman y Gomez also has been promoting a “Clean is the New Healthy” campaign.
A vision to “reinvent fast food and change the way the masses eat has driven us since day one, almost 20 years ago,” Marks said.
The menu focuses on made-to-order burritos, bowls, nachos, tacos and quesadillas. The Cali burrito comes stuffed with chipotle-seasoned fries in place of rice and a choice of chicken, steak, carnitas, beef brisket, ground beef or sautéed veggies.
“We’re proving that fast can still mean real: real ingredients, real flavor, real care. We’re grilling grilled flank steak, making guac fresh daily and building a team culture that lives and breathes guest experience,” Marks said in the statement. “Whether you're heading to the airport or out with family, Des Plaines now has fast food that doesn’t cut corners, just delivers bold flavor at a great value.”
In Naperville, the second eatery will be built from the ground up. Guzman y Gomez intends to tear down a vacant two-story restaurant building that is part of the larger Fox River Commons shopping center.
Guzman y Gomez plans to construct a roughly 2,600-square-foot restaurant with a drive-through on the property on the east side of Route 59 between La Fox Avenue to the north and Ogden Avenue to the south. It also will feature a covered outdoor patio area with room for about two dozen seats. And a bike and pedestrian pathway will be extended along Route 59.
“I am excited about that location, with everything that's going on out there, the development, the sidewalks,” said Whitney Robbins, chair of Naperville’s plan commission. “I like that you guys are doing the extension with the bike trail. I just think it's a great spot.”
At least one Naperville plan commissioner is a fan of a “Brekkie” item.
“I have to say you have the best breakfast burritos in Naperville, or not just Naperville, in Illinois,” Derek McDaniel told the GYG team.
The advisory panel has recommended approval of the proposed zoning entitlements for the project.
In Des Plaines, hours are 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Dine in, takeout, drive-through, app and web ordering, plus delivery are available.