Guzman y Gomez was founded in Sydney, Australia in 2006 by New Yorkers and childhood best friends Steven Marks and Robert Hazan. Steven, a former hedge fund manager, and Robert, who had a background in fashion wholesale and retail, both missed the authentic fresh flavors of Mexican cuisine that they had grown up with in America. After realizing that there was a genuine gap in the market for fresh, delicious Mexican food, they decided to create their own restaurant named Guzman y Gomez to honor their childhood friends. Steven and Robert had a vision to build a restaurant business that had the speed and convenience of fast food but to re-invent the fast food category by serving high-quality food.