Zambrero, the modern Mexican restaurant group, has opened its latest new restaurant in Basingstoke’s Festival Place – the first for the brand in Hampshire.
The restaurant, which opened on Saturday 30th May, is located on Queen Anne’s Square in the Festival Place Shopping Centre, and has created 10 full and part-time jobs. Serving delicious, customisable modern Mexican favourites, the new restaurant offers both dine-in and takeaway options, with seating for 25 customers.
Famous for its freshly made burritos and bowls, Zambrero also offers tacos, nachos and quesadillas, with slow cooked meat fillings, as well as vegetarian, vegan and halal menu options.
The new restaurant has been opened by experienced Zambrero owner Sumin Lohani, who joined the brand as a Franchise Partner in mid-2025, taking over an existing restaurant in Reading.
With 15 years’ experience living and working in Basingstoke, including as a local hotel Operations Manager, Sumin has a strong understanding of the town and its local market. That insight, combined with his long-standing ties to the area, made Basingstoke the clear choice for his next Zambrero restaurant.
Sumin said: “Opening in Basingstoke is a proud moment for me personally, having lived and worked in the town for many years. Festival Place is a fantastic location for Zambrero, right at the heart of the community, and I’m excited to introduce more people to our Feel Good Mex and purpose-led approach.”
At the heart of Zambrero is its hugely successful Plate 4 Plate humanitarian initiative. Every time a burrito or bowl is purchased at any of its restaurants, Zambrero sends a nutritious meal to someone in need in the developing world via its charity partner, Rise Against Hunger℠. The combination of delicious, freshly prepared food and giving back is why Zambrero call themselves Feel Good Mex.
Sumin is also a Zambrero Development Agent, responsible for recruiting new Franchise Partners to open restaurants in Hampshire, Berkshire and the Isle of Wight. He plans to open up to 30 restaurants by 2030, with at least 20 to open in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and 10 in Berkshire. The new openings will create around 450 jobs, including full and part-time roles.
Globally, Zambrero has more than 350 restaurants in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, the USA, and the UK, and is the largest Mexican restaurant franchise in both Australia and Ireland.
Basingstoke is Zambrero’s 16th restaurant opening in the UK since its 2021 launch, with other locations including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Reading, Essex and Glasgow. It is aiming to open an initial 100 restaurants in the UK by 2030 in an initial growth drive through its franchise programme.
