Mariposa Restaurant Holdings (MRH), owner of the popular Mexican food franchise Mexicali Fresh, has purchased New Zealand’s oldest gourmet burger franchise Burger Wisconsin for an undisclosed sum.
Nathan Bonney, Mariposa Restaurant Holdings’ General Manager, says the two companies are both very excited about the deal. “There are strong synergies between Mexicali Fresh and Burger Wisconsin,” he said. “Both operate a successful franchise model and offer fresh, premium quality, hand-prepared food, and both are committed to building sustainable businesses that offer great opportunities for their franchisees and great products for their growing list of customers.”
MRH has built a robust franchise support and management team, which can be rolled out to other brands, says Bonney. “Our tried and tested franchise system offers a number of benefits, especially when it comes to driving economies of scale in purchasing, management, administration and marketing. So there is a real opportunity here to drive and support growth for both brands.”
Bonney also praised the management and support given to the deal and the transition by Burger Wisconsin Franchisor Steve Hanna. “Burger Wisconsin has stayed true to its original mission statement of bringing gourmet burgers from the high street to the suburbs. Grounded in all the same beliefs that Mexicali Fresh adheres too, it’s not only Burger Wisconsin’s business that attracted us, but the similar, positive culture that exists within the business.”
“The gourmet burger sector is a hot, high-growth category,” says Conor Kerlin, Brand Dude for MRH. “Burger Wisconsin has a very positive reputation. It was the first gourmet burger concept to launch in New Zealand in 1989. Over the past 25 years it has built an incredibly loyal customer base spanning 2 generations. That’s a really solid foundation for growth.
“We’re delighted to be able to announce this deal and are very excited about the future for both our brands and for MRH.”
