Aussie Mexican franchise Guzman y Gomez opens another Townsville store

More than 450 people applied to work at Guzman y Gomez’s fourth Townsville store. Here’s where to get the delicious food.

Australian company Guzman y Gomez has opened another Townsville store. Picture: NCA Newswire /Gaye Gerard

Mexican fast food franchise Guzman y Gomez has opened its fourth Townsville store on Thursday.

The store is at the Fairfield Central Shopping Centre but is only a drive-through operation.

Guzman y Gomez NQ operations manager Justin Angus said more than 450 people applied to work at the new store.

Some 200 applications came from William Ross High School after the opening was mentioned at assembly and about 50 students were hired from the three nearby high schools, he said.

In total 90 people were hired; about a quarter of these were full time, Mr Angus said.

The New South Wales-based company had a mariachi band to play during the first day of trade.

North Queensland operations manager Justin Angus with Sergio and Salvador of GYG Mariachi Band, at the opening of the new Guzman y Gomez restaurant at Fairfield Central. Picture: Shae Beplate.

At 12pm there were about 20 cars in line to get their food, Mr Angus said.

The company employs 220 people in the four Townsville stores, he said.

The Fairfield Central shop will run on extended trading hours, longer than the other three GYG’s in town; opening at 6am every day, and closing at 11pm Thursday to Saturday.

The business’ Willows store opened in March 2021, and an assistant manager from that store has been put in charge of the new shop.

Guzman y Gomez operates in Australia, Singapore, Japan and the USA and was started by a New Yorker in New South Wales.

The company has 160 stores in Australia, 70 of which are drive through.

The opening of their fourth store in Townsville comes just days after Taco Bell’s lone Townsville store closed, after just three-and-a-half years. Mr Angus hinted Guzman y Gomez could be interested in that site, saying “you could see us pop up in that spot”.

Fast food was a very competitive industry, he said.

“If your food is not on point consistently ... people in this category are very unforgiving,” Mr Angus said.

The company that operates Taco Bell in Australia is unable to comment on the closure because of financial reporting regulations.

Originally published as Aussie Mexican franchise Guzman y Gomez opens another Townsville store