Guzman y Gomez barnstormed the ASX last week with a simple pitch: big growth. But the Mexican-themed restaurant chain is not the only one with big plans. Its competitors are all jostling for a bigger slice of a $25 billion market.

Now is fast food’s time to shine. Higher interest rates – and the threat they will go higher still – have pushed up mortgage payments at the same time as big increases in energy and insurance bills are forcing families to cut back on spending. That means less for the neighbourhood Italian diners and more for “quick-service restaurants” – as fast food likes to call itself.