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Jingle Bowls We now offer delivery! Start Earning Points! Chicken Tinga is back! $9.75 + tax 100% Locally sources canadaian cheese queso, now at z-teca! Try our chips & queso for $3.50 + tax Pork BBQ carnitas for $8.95 Braised Tofu now availiable! Organic, non-GMO Ontario Tofu Braised in a Chipotle Adobo Sauce. Breakfast Burritos, made fresh to order, servered from 8:00am to 11:00am. The mighty z-teca burrito! Look below to find out how we made it so mighty!

A single batch made fresh every day and when we run out, we’re out for the day until tomorrow! Hand-crafted using fresh quality ingredients with low sodium vegetable stock.

Freshly cooked tortilla chips with melted low-fat Monterey Jack cheese, seasoned black beans, pico de gallo and low-fat sour cream. Served with guacamole.

ADD Chicken or Steak!

Same as our Nachos (above) but with your choice of grilled chicken or tender steak.

Melt in your mouth AND
healthy ingredients?
Sounds like a dream!

Large flour or whole wheat tortilla filled with low-fat Monterey Jack cheese, pico de gallo with your choice of grilled chicken or steak. Served with low-fat sour cream.

You ‘think’ you know
Quesadillas... wait until
you try ours!

Large flour or whole wheat tortilla filled with low-fat Monterey Jack cheese, pico de gallo, black beans and roasted corn. Served with low-fat sour cream.

Z-teca’s flagship menu item, our gourmet burrito
has received plenty of hype in the media
and continues to prove that Canadians
make the best burritos!

Large flour or whole wheat tortilla, cilantro-lime rice, choice of seasoned black beans, roasted corn or fajita vegetables, choice of filling, low-fat Monterey Jack Cheese and choice of hand-made salsa.

  • Grilled Chicken
  • Grilled Steak
  • Beef Barbacoa
  • Pork Carnitas
  • Grilled Shrimp
  • Vegetarian
  • Guacamole with choice of black beans, roasted corn or fajita vegetables
Burrito Bowl

Take our mouth-watering burrito with all its delicious ingredients and serve it without the tortilla... in a bowl!

Z-Teca Salad

Fresh chopped romaine lettuce, choice of black beans, roasted corn or fajita vegetables, choice of filling, low-fat Monterey Jack cheese, and choice of hand-made salsa and dressing (Honey-lime Dijon or Chipotle ranch).

Burrito not your thing?
Test drive the perfect
Taco.

Any two Tacos - 6” whole wheat tortilla, choice of filling, romaine lettuce, low-fat sour cream, low-fat Monterey Jack cheese and choice of hand-made salsa. Served with a side of freshly cooked tortilla chips and choice of hand-made salsa.

Chicken
100% all white chicken, marinated overnight in a smokey chipotle marinade, and then grilled to perfection.

Steak
A lean cut of 100% Canadian Grain Fed Beef, marinated overnight in a smokey chipotle marinade, and then grilled to a juicy medium finish.

Beef Barbacoa
Tender braised, slow-cooked beef in traditional seasonings. Shredded, moist and full of flavour - Mexican barbeque!

Pork Carnitas
Deliciously tender, juicy and slow-cooked to perfection - Mexican pulled pork!

Shrimp
Juicy shrimp seasoned in a chipotle marinade and grilled just right.

It’s what’s under the Foil that counts!

A simple and focused menu built around the philosophy of “do a few things but do them really well”. We hand-craft all our menu items, right in front of our customers, so there’s plenty of options. With emphasis squarely on the food, we only use fresh quality ingredients, prepared daily in our own kitchens, using simple cooking techniques. In fact our kitchen is an “open concept” because we are proud of what we do and we want our customers to see their food being freshly prepared.

No microwaves, no added MSG, no fillers, no shortcuts and no fast food tricks - just great ingredients that make great tasting food.

Let us know if you have any special dietary needs or allergies and we’ll certainly try to accommodate where we can.

Fajita Vegetables
Fresh sliced green bell peppers and red onions, sautéed with a touch of olive oil and a sprinkle of oregano - slightly crisp.

Pico de Gallo (Fresh Tomato Salsa) - Mild
A fresh Tomato salsa made in house daily, using freshly delivered produce. Mild, tangy & refreshing taste.

Mango & Fresh Tomato Salsa - Mild
Same as our Pico de Gallo salsa but with sweet mango chunks. Tangy, refreshing with a sweet finish.

Roasted Tomatillo & Jalapeno Salsa - Medium
A roasted citrus flavored salsa with a medium heat finish.

Chipotle & Roasted Tomato Salsa - Hot
A roasted, rich & smoky flavored salsa with a slight kick of heat.

Guacamole
Hand mashed daily, using premium Hass avocados.

Roasted Corn
Premium grade “A” corn, roasted and with a smoky flavor.

Cheese
Locally sourced, a Low-fat Monterey Jack cheese, shredded from blocks throughout the day.

Rice
Whole Grain Brown rice, tasty and full of nutrients.

Tortillas
Whole wheat and flour options available.

Sour Cream
Low-fat, creamy and velvety smooth.

Market Vegetables
Received fresh daily and sourced locally when possible. Hand chopped throughout the day.

At z-teca, we continually strive to improve the taste, quality and nutritional value of our menu. We want to provide our customers with good foods that are fresh, unprocessed, more nutritious and healthier for you.

It is also important to consume only as many daily calories that is recommended for you and for this reason, we have provided you with our z-teca Nutrition information, so you can customize your menu offering and calorie intake that’s right for you.

Nutritional information was prepared by a Registered Dietician and please note that the content may vary due to change of suppliers/ingredients and slight variations in our recipes. This information may also be updated from time to time without notice.

z-teca continually strives to improve the taste and the nutritional value of our menu items. Providing our customers with quality ingredients, authentic flavours and healthy options is at the core of everything we do. Use our Nutrition Chart to plan out your meal choices.

Select a menu item from the drop-down below or scroll using the scroll bar below left.

Menu Item Calories
(kcal)
%Fat		 Total Fat
(g)		 Saturated
Fat (g)		 Trans
Fat (g)		 Cholesterol
(mg)		 Sodium
(mg)		 Carbs
(g)		 Dietary
Fibre (g)		 Sugars
(g)		 Protein
(g)
Burritos*
Grilled Steak 837 198 32 10.7 0.2 73 1994 95.5 8.2 5.5 33
Beef Barbacoa 784 171 25 10.7 0.2 82 1594 96.5 9 5.0 33
Grilled Chicken 795 246 27 13.7 0.2 75 2433 102.5 9.3 6.5 30
Pork Carnitas 766 187 25 12.7 0.1 73 2059 100.5 9.0 6.0 39
Grilled Shrimp 767 187 25 12.2 0.1 129 1833 100.5 9.0 5.5 38
Vegetarian** 796 269 29 14.7 0.1 43 1995 111.5 12.0 7.8 27
Burrito Bowls1
Grilled Steak 785 187 29.5 12.2 0.1 84 1732 93.5 3.2 7 36.5
Beef Barbacoa 732 160 22.5 12.2 0.1 93 1332 94.5 4 6.5 36.5
Grilled Chicken 717 164 22.5 12.2 0.1 81 1976 95.5 3.3 8 33.5
Pork Carnitas 694 163 21.5 12.2 0.1 84 1737 92.5 3 6 34.5
Grilled Shrimp 695 163 21.5 11.7 0.1 140 1511 92.5 3 5.5 33.5
Vegetarian** 724 245 25.5 14.2 0.1 54 1673 103.5 6 7.8 22.7
Salads2
Grilled Steak 519 173 29 7.2 0.3 68 1548 38 5.2 20.5 29.5
Beef Barbacoa 466 146 22 7.2 0.3 77 1148 39 6 20 29.5
Grilled Chicken 451 150 22 7.2 0.3 65 1792 40 5.3 21.5 26.5
Pork Carnitas 428 149 21 7.2 0.3 68 1553 37 5 19.5 27.5
Grilled Shrimp 429 149 21 6.7 0.3 124 1327 37 5 19 26.5
Vegetarian** 458 231 25 9.2 0.3 38 1489 48 8 21.3 15.7
Tacos3
Grilled Steak 269.5 156.2 13 5.58 0.06 34 605.5 21.85 2.5 3.3 16.3
Beef Barbacoa 235.5 129.2 9 5.58 0.05 36.5 385 22.15 2.9 3 15.8
Grilled Chicken 232.5 133.2 9 3.98 0.05 32 738.5 22.65 2.6 3.8 14.8
Pork Carnitas 216.5 132.2 8.5 4.08 0.05 32 587.5 21.15 2.4 2.75 15.3
Grilled Shrimp 217 132.2 8.5 3.78 0.05 60.5 474.5 21.15 2.4 2.5 14.3
Vegetarian 4 214.5 142.7 9 4.5 0.05 13 463.5 24.75 4 2.5 9.5
Quesadillas5
Black Bean & Corn 638 131 27 13.7 0.2 48 1604 74 10 6.3 29.7
Grilled Chicken 630 104 27 11.7 0.2 75 1737 62 7.3 7.5 38.5
Grilled Steak 698 127 34 11.7 0.2 78 1493 60 7.2 6.5 41.5
Nachos
Nachos 785 239 47.5 12.2 2.25 36 978 70 9 8.5 21.5
w/ Grilled Chicken 842 273 49.5 12.6 2.25 55 1355 72 9.2 9.8 28.5
w/ Grilled Steak 879 296 53.5 14.2 2.26 57 1222 71.2 9.1 9.3 30

* with whole wheat tortilla, cilantro-lime rice, beans, sour cream, pico de gallo, cheese
** with roasted corn and guacamole
1 with cilantro-lime rice, beans, sour cream, pico de gallo, cheese
2 romaine lettuce, beans, pico de gallo, cheese, honey lime dijon dressing

3 6" flour tortilla, pico de gallo, cheese, romaine lettuce, sour cream
4 with black beans and guacamole
5 with whole wheat tortilla
Analysis provided by Cara Stoller, registered dietician, Menu Makeover, 2010

  • John Hajdly
    Toronto

    "The food here is always great!"

    Tracy
    Toronto

    "Service was very good, Jess was a pleasure."

  • T. Sherlock
    Toronto

    "Good food. Good price. I would recommend z-teca."

    Anonymous
    Toronto

    "Waaaaay better than Chipotle."

  • Melissa Young
    Toronto

    "I loved the brown rice option! Healthy option."

    Anonymous
    Toronto

    "Loved it! Clean & friendly. Cool decor."

There's a reason our customers are so loyal

In 2007, frustrated with a lack of healthy options and nutritious food that could be had for a reasonable price in a quick environment, a couple of Canadian entrepreneurs with years of Foodservice experience behind them had a great idea for a fast-casual gourmet burrito concept. Theirs was a quest to turn traditional fast food on its ear by doing things differently. They decided to go back to basics, creating recipes from scratch, with ingredients they could recognize. Essentially, creating food that they would happily feed to their families at home.

Canadians in general are seeking healthier alternatives, owing to an aging population, greater knowledge of nutrition and an increase in healthier lifestyles. Tired of the same old, same old, z-teca was born to answer the call for better quality and fresher, healthier ingredients.

Why Mexican? Simple--it was their passion, and nobody seemed to be doing it right. Thus 'new age' California style Mexican was born in Toronto. The focus? To do a few things, and to do them really well. There are no gimmicky fast food style fried specialties, just REAL, WHOLESOME food inspired by Mexico.

The result, a clean design with a simple, focused menu, using only fresh quality ingredients, hand processing with simple cooking techniques and employing great people who shared in the vision. This simple approach and passion for our business has allowed us to build a strong and successful brand.

z-teca has cultivated a very loyal customer following, and with a solid foundation in place, is prepared to grow. We are seeking the right operators who share in our passion and vision of our brand.

  • 3710 Chesswood Drive, Suite 220
    Toronto, Ontario M3J 2W4
    Telephone: 416.636.3181
    Facsimile: 416.636.9162
    Email:

New Franchise Development

We are in constant discussions with major landlords and commercial real-estate companies for prime locations. However, we will consider other locations that are brought to our attention, provided of course that they meet our location criteria. The following are some of the potential sites that we are currently developing. Please call us if you would like further details regarding any one of these sites.

  • Major Office Tower Food Courts – Financial District Toronto
  • Bloor & Spadina – Downtown Toronto
  • Yonge & Bloor – Downtown Toronto
  • Queen Street West at Spadina – Downtown Toronto
  • St. Lawrence Market – Downtown Toronto
  • Queen Street East – The Beaches
  • Yonge & Eglinton – Midtown Toronto
  • University Locations (3) – Ontario
  • Square One – Mississauga
  • Eglinton & Laird - Leaside
  • Bloor & Bathurst - The Annex
  • University Ave & College – Hospital District

Area Development Agreements

We are also interested in meeting with experienced foodservice operators who are interested in developing multiple stores in other markets. If you have multi-unit restaurant experience, as an owner or an operator and have a proven track record in the restaurant industry, please call us and we would be pleased to meet with you and discuss in more detail.

 

About our Stores

The Branding and image of Z-teca are as important to the customer experience as our menu. For this reason, we work closely with the right team of professionals and an award winning retail design firm that have created a very unique, urban look for Z-teca. The kitchen is an open scheme design so that our customers can watch us as we grill chicken and steak on the char broiler or roast tomatoes in the salamander, for our fresh salsas. We are proud of what we do and want the customer to be in full view of the cooking process and all of the freshly prepared ingredients. It's a customer friendly, customizable and interactive process which reinforces the Z-teca brand experience to all of our customers.

We are specific when selecting our locations and work closely with real-estate professionals. We look for site opportunities in populated urban and suburban areas, with close proximity to commercial offices, retail businesses, light industry and residential properties. Specific sites will be evaluated for excellent visibility, good accessibility, strong pedestrian and vehicular traffic and we prefer to be anchored by other strong retail concepts, including other food restaurants.

Typically, Z-teca locations can be established in the following formats:

  1. Street Fronts
  2. Shopping Mall (In-line or Food Court)
  3. Universities and Colleges
  4. Strip Malls and Big Box Centres

The location size can vary significantly from 500 to 2,000 Sq. Ft., depending on the venue. However, the ideal footprint is typically 1,500 Sq. Ft. with the kitchen occupying 40% and the balance being the customer dining area which will contain up to 40 seats. Hours of operation vary by location and venue but are generally 11AM to 10PM - Monday to Saturday and 12PM to 8PM on Sundays.

 

click on an image to see it enlarged

Z-teca restaurants will be located in populated Urban & Suburban areas with excellent visibility. We require a strong lunch daypart as well as evening and weekend business. Typical locations supported by target demographics and preferred traffic generators will be considered. Typical locations consist of:

  • street fronts
  • shopping mall in-line locations
  • strip malls and big box centres
  • universities and colleges

We Have Big Plans for Growth

Although, there are many other Burrito chains in the marketplace, what sets us apart is our corporate culture and operating philosophy that we have worked so hard to achieve. Our obsession with quality, customer focus and a memorable brand experience is what we strive to achieve everyday at all of our locations.

To this end, we are very focused in working with the right Franchise Partner (aka Burrito Aficianados), who will help in the development of the Z-teca brand. We are looking for like minded entrepeneurs who truly share in our vision and who want to be part of something exciting, challenging and who demonstrate a strong desire to be successful.

There are many locations currently in operation and many more to be developed in our local market and other markets across the country. If you feel like you have what it takes and want to be part of a quality, gourmet Burrito franchise, reach out to us and let's talk!

We're looking for that special someone!

By definition the word aficionado is a devotee – someone who is enthusiastic and knowledgeable about something and this is precisely the type of person we set out to look for. We are not looking for someone who just wants to buy a business but rather someone who will approach this opportunity with great enthusiasm. Someone who will be passionate about the concept and be totally committed to the success of the z-teca brand.

Our objective is to get to know you and assess your comfort level in becoming a franchise partner. We are looking for the right “fit” between yourself and our z-teca brand. More specifically we consider the following qualification requirements:

  1. The initial right attitude for buying a business;
  2. Previous foodservice or business experience;
  3. A strong work ethic with a dedication to providing quality products and service;
  4. Confidence and readiness to face the daily foodservice challenges.
  5. Strong organizational and leadership qualities to manage a team;
  6. Pride of ownership and a strong desire to be successful;
  7. Ability to own and operate more than one location;
  8. A minimum of $101,000 cash investment and a minimum of $401,000 in equity to qualify for bank financing.

If you feel you have what it takes financially, physically and emotionally, to become a successful
Z-teca franchise partner, please read on and send us your franchise application.

Let us break it down for you

Our franchise program is “turn-key”. From start to finish, Z-teca develops its locations in a professional, quality and efficient manner. The following information is only intended to provide you with a general overview of costs for a typical location. Each location varies based on a number of factors, such as; store size and layout, exhausting requirements, building codes, degree of construction difficulty and any allowances provided by the landlord. We will however, provide you with our disclosure document which contains information, costs and expenses as they relate to a specific location. All taxes are extra, where applicable.

If you require bank financing assistance, we can introduce you to several business consultants who provide consulting services and will assist you in the preparation of a professional business plan, in order to secure bank financing for the business venture.

Below are some of the business terms as they relate to a Z-teca franchise.

  1. Franchise Term: Generally 10 years
  2. Lease Term: Generally 10 years
  3. Renewal Option: If available, typically one 5 year extension.
  4. Franchise Fee: $25,000
  5. Royalty Fee: 6 % of sales (bi-weekly).
  6. Brand Marketing Fee: 2% of sales (bi-weekly)
  7. Ideal store size: 1,500 Sq. Ft. (varies from 500 to 2,000 Sq. Ft.)
  8. Development Costs: $275,000 to $375,000. (Varies due to site conditions)
  9. Cash Investment Required: $100,000 to $150,000
  10. Working Capital: $10,000 to $25,000 (Genreally 3 month's rent)
  11. Partnerships: Are allowed but all partners must submit applications and qualify. A partnership agreement is required and the operating partner must have an equal or greater business equity.

The franchise process from initial inquiry to store opening can take anywhere from 4 to 6 months. Sometimes longer, depending on the location/lease availability or landlord’s build-out.

Step 1: Complete & email us your Inquiry Form

The Inquiry form is for franchise consideration and all information will be kept confidential. Upon reviewing your inquiry, we will contact you for an introductory meeting.

Step 2: Introductory Meeting

We will call you to schedule a meeting but before attending, we would ask you to visit one of our locations and try our food. During our meeting we would like to learn more about you, your background and experience and we will provide you with an overview of Z-teca and its franchise program. Feel free to ask all the questions you may have. We want to be sure that this will be a good fit for both parties.

Step 3: Visit Locations

We would encourage you to visit our locations and speak with our franchise partners. This would be a good opportunity to ask our existing operators about or systems and program.

Step 4: Second Meeting/Submit Franchise Application

During our meeting we would like to discuss your store visits and answer any more questions that you may have and confirm your continued interest. We will then provide you with our franchise application form which we would ask you to complete thoroughly and return to our office. You authorize Z-teca to contact any references and or exchange any personal information required to establish and verify the information and financial status of your application.

Step 5: Third Meeting/Provide Disclosure Document

Your franchise application will be reviewed and upon pre-approval, we will contact you for a third meeting at our office. You will meet other Head Office personnel and we will provide and review with you our Disclosure Document. You will have two (2) weeks to review these documents with your advisors. During this time we will also request a preliminary financing approval based on your application (we want to be sure that financing won’t be an issue).

Step 6: Fourth Meeting/Review Disclosure Document Questions

Now that you have reviewed the Disclosure Document and related documents with your advisors, we can now answer any questions that you may have regarding these documents. Upon final approval by Z-teca, and provided there’s continued interest on your part to proceed, we will request a Deposit of $10,000 and begin preparing the Franchise Agreement and related documents. At this time, we will also set up a One (1) day, in-store evaluation session.

Step 7: Signing of Franchise Agreement & Related Documents

The Franchise Agreement and related documents (4 sets) will be prepared and sent to your lawyer for execution. We would then ask you to return the executed documents to our office, whereby we would sign them as well and return two fully executed copies to yourself. We will also require you to pay the balance of the Franchise Fee, plus HST.

Step 8: Orientation and Store Development

Congratulations and welcome aboard! Let’s roll up our sleeves and get busy building your future!
We will familiarize you on all of the next steps involved in opening your Z-teca restaurant. Firstly, you will submit your bank application for financing approval, if required (we will assist you with this). We will then provide you with a schedule of store construction and training. We will also provide you with a Payment Schedule required to develop your location. (This is usually the money that you are investing in the business). Upon securing the lease, it generally takes up to three (3) months to complete and open the new Z-teca location.