The Burrito Company attracts a cool crowd. With hip beats, a laid-back atmosphere and communal tables, the two locations in the city put a strong focus on the social and fun element of eating (and drinking) together.
Inspired by West Coast eateries, the Californian influence is clear – from the photos of LA beaches on the walls to the surfboard propped up against the bar. And then there’s the food. The Burrito Company serves Mission-style burritos, based on those found in taquerias in the Mission District in San Francisco. Think oversized flour tortillas packed with rice and many other fresh ingredients.
The exact combination of ingredients is down to you. Guests can customise their order by completing a small form listing all the fillings. Options include locally sourced beef, chicken and slow-cooked pork, grilled veggies, cheese, homemade guacamole and salsa. Guests can also go for burrito bowls (no wrap), burrinhos (smaller wrap) or Mexican salads (wrap on the side). On weekends, breakfast burritos arrive on the menu.
Everything in the Burrito Company has a story behind it, starting with the aforementioned beach photos. They were taken by owner Michael Freismuth and his girlfriend (now wife) in 2011. Michael was in Huntington Beach for an internship with a large non-gastronomic German firm at the time. It was here that he discovered burritos. “I was having one every second day,” he tells us, “I loved them!” But it wasn’t just the food he fell for. He also saw something in the relaxed attitude of food-shack style eating.
As is often the case with ambitious life-changing ideas, Michael was mildly intoxicated when he first announced his plan to introduce a similar concept to Munich. However, unlike many such plans, when he sobered up, the idea stuck.
Upon returning to Germany, he wrote a final year thesis that was essentially a business plan for the Burrito Company. Once he graduated, the search for a space began. Easier said than done with an unknown concept, little money and a tough property market. But with hard work, pure determination and a strong network of family and friends, the first shop opened its doors in 2013.
Fast-forward four years (and many long days) and the Burrito Company is booming. It seems the same attitude that got the shop off the ground is also what’s keeping it running so successfully today. The 32 employees are a close-knit group who are fully behind the idea. During our meeting, Michael often stops to chat to customers and employees, including a member of staff who has come in for lunch on her day off.
“There are people working here who’ve been part of the Burrito Company from the beginning,” he explains, “they are like my right arm!” Every few months, he organises events for the staff. “I know what I have to thank them for,” he says, “I simply couldn’t do this without them.”
Address
Augustenstraße 74, 80333 München
Baaderstraße 68, 80469 München
Opening times
Augustenstr. Mon – Sun | 11:30 – 21:30
Baaderstr. Mon – Fri | 11:30 – 22:00, Sat | 12:30 – 22:00, Sun | 12:30 – 21:00
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