Interview with Hamim Ahmed, Co-Founder of Sabrosa Tacos
Hamim Ahmed grew up around his family’s Indian restaurant in Hertfordshire. It was working there that provided him with the knowledge of how to run a busy F&B business and gave him a taste for running his own. In 2022, Hamim and partner Nadira Miah set up their own taco business from their home kitchen. It was immediately a success. They then operated from a dark kitchen that offered delivery, before opening their first restaurant in 2023.
Tell us a bit about yourself
My first ever job was at my Dad’s Indian Restaurant in Hertfordshire. I spent the School Summer Break there, learning the ropes and how he ran the business. That was my first real glimpse into the entrepreneurial world. Between 2011 and 2022, I developed a career with one of the biggest online fashion retailors in the world. Working my way up from Entry-level advisor to Senior Management. All the experiences with people and newly acquired skills have set me up to become a successful F&B Franchisor.
Can you tell us about Sabrosa Tacos
Sabrosa Tacos was founded by myself and Nadira Miah. As both of us had family experience in the restaurant scene, we decided it was time we tried something new and bold.
After 9 months of planning and testing, we officially launched In January 2022 from our humble home kitchen. To say it was popular is an understatement. We sold out within the first hour of opening! Since then, we've taken massive strides. From operating in a dark kitchen serving delivery only to then opening our first restaurant in November 2023. We’ve shown exponential growth in the first 2 years of operating. Now we’re ready to share our temptingly tasty tacos with the world.
Instead of opening more company-owned store, we went down the route of franchising. It meant we could tap in to other like-minded individuals and share their experience and expertise to help grow the Sabrosa Tacos brand.
We currently have 1 company-owned store and have recently secured a mega 100-store deal to develop the brand in Indian and GCC.
Who is your target market?
The UK is a multi-cultural hot-pot and the population is always looking to try new foods. There is however limited availability of Taco restaurants and takeaways (especially outside of central London). We see a diverse range of customers. There is no specific age range or demographic. Everyone knows what a taco is (mainly through American movies/shows) and now they want to try it for themselves!
Why is your Sabrosa Tacos a great investment for potential franchisees?
You’ll be investing in an up-and-coming brand that has the potential to disrupt the market and becoming a stand out name. With early adopters comes room for growth and development. We’re running this operation not in a traditional hierarchical system, but with fluidity. Investment levels are on the lower end compared to more recent F&B franchise offerings. Not only that, but we’ll be investing our time in YOU!
What differentiates Sabrosa Tacos from the competition?
We fall in between QSR and Casual Dining – We’re in the Fast-Casual segment – which is seeing a re-emergence in popularity. Plus, Mexican food is still very unique in the UK and is gaining popularity every year.
What is the role of one of a Sabrosa Tacos franchisee?
We’re a relatively new brand. Using the systems and operations we have in place; the Franchisee will have all the tools they need to run the business successfully. In turn, this will help grown the brand and help us along the path of cementing Sabrosa Tacos as a mainstay in the F&B industry.
What qualities do you look for in a Sabrosa Tacos franchisee?
Like-minded operators who have a keen eye for the smaller details. Without the smaller details, the bigger plan won’t run as efficiently. You don’t need previous franchise experience (although it helps!). All you need is a solid entrepreneur mindset and an openness to learn new skills.
What challenges have you had to overcome?
Scalability was the biggest challenge. We never expected the brand to blow up as much as it did and franchising was never in our minds when we launched the business. Thankfully, my experience in the corporate world meant operation guides and training documents were something I had already created. The challenge now was how to replicate this success in a copy paste format and on a larger scale.
What have been the company’s biggest achievements to date?
On a local level, we’ve gained massive popularity and are amongst the highest rated food businesses with an average rating of 4.4 across all delivery platforms and Google reviews.
We’re very active on LinkedIn which has helped garner interest from a lot of people (including a shout-out from the founder of GDK!). Our latest opportunity was born through LinkedIn and resulted in us signing a 100-store deal with an International Franchise company to bring the brand to India and the Middle east.
What does the future hold for Sabrosa Tacos?
We’ve always had one goal in mind. To become the number one taco shop. Not just in the UK, but on a global level. We have an amazing product in our hands and we want all walks of life to give it a try.
What expansion plans have you got nationally and internationally?
To grow the franchise organically by finding the right franchisees who understand the brand. We’re focussing on UK and India right now, with the Middle East not far behind. We’re targeting at least 50 stores within the next 3 years.
What advice would you give to someone considering franchising their business?
Franchising is a great way to grow your brand. You have the chance to work with like-minded people but also the opportunity to learn from others. Franchisees may bring more to the table than you would have though yourself. It creates a melting-pot of ideas that you may have not thought of yourself. See it more as a partnership than a contract.
If you had to do it all again, what would you do differently?
We’re still new to the franchise game so let’s see how this journey plays out. Ask us again in 3 years’ time!
Interested and want to know more about Sabrosa Tacos?
The Sabrosa Tacos profile outlines all aspects of their franchise opportunity and allows you to contact them for further information or to ask a question.
