By Sonia Isaacs
A POPULAR Mexican restaurant chain will expand its Sunshine Coast footprint next Tuesday with the opening of Guzman y Gomez Glasshouse Mountains, delivering around 65 new local jobs and realising an eight-year dream for a local franchisee.
Opening this week on January 20, the new drive-thru restaurant marks GYG’s fifth Sunshine Coast location and has been strategically positioned at the gateway to the hinterland, serving locals, commuters and travellers heading north and south along the Bruce Highway.
For franchisee Nestor Unigarro, the opening represents far more than a business milestone.
Mr Unigarro is a long-serving GYG team member who began his journey with the company as a crew member and worked his way through almost every role in the business; cook, shift leader, assistant restaurant manager, restaurant manager, Sunshine Coast operations manager and corporate culinary coach – before achieving franchise ownership. “Dreams come true if you work hard and you prove yourself,” Mr Unigarro said.
“I’ve done it with eight years of hard work, and now I’m here. Opening this restaurant is a dream come true.”
Originally from Colombia, Mr Unigarro came to Australia during a period of unrest in his home country, initially planning to stay only long enough to learn English. Instead, he built a career, a family and a future on the Sunshine Coast.
“This is my home now, for my family as well,” he said.
“I wanted to create something that gives back to the community that welcomed me.”
Located at 4249 Bruce Highway, the GYG Glasshouse Mountains Drive Thru has taken more than eight months to build and features indoor and outdoor seating, along with a full drive-thru service.
The restaurant will trade seven days a week from 6am to 11pm, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner for dine-in, takeaway and drive-thru customers.
While the highway location is expected to attract strong passing traffic, Mr Unigarro said the restaurant was designed first and foremost with locals in mind.
“My main focus is to support Glasshouse Mountains, Beerwah and surrounding areas,” he said.
“I want locals to feel welcome, and I want young people to see opportunities to grow here.”
Around 65 jobs have been created across kitchen, crew and support roles, with recruitment still underway.
