Steven Marks | Source | CEO at Guzman y Gomez Mexican Kitchen

Steven Marks grew up on Long Island, New York. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Economics. He worked 10 years in finance (SAC Capital, Cheyne Capital) in the US and London.

Steven relocated to Sydney in 2002 where he launched and sold several successful businesses.

After realising that there was a genuine gap in the Australian market for fresh, clean Mexican food, Steven founded the first Guzman y Gomez restaurant in Newtown, Sydney with business partner and his childhood best friend, Robert Hazan.

Steven named Guzman y Gomez to honour childhood friends. His vision was to build a restaurant business that had the speed and convenience of fast food but to re-invent the fast food category by never compromising on the quality of GYG’s food and using only the freshest and best ingredients.

Steven designed GYG's bespoke operating platform, sticker system & digital ecosystem which remains one of the fastest fresh fast food operating platforms in the world; ensuring GYG could prepare and make high quality fresh burritos, nachos, tacos, crispy chicken tenders and fries at speed.

Over the next 16 years, the brand expanded interstate and then went global, opening at the end of 2013 in Singapore followed by Japan in 2015 and then to the USA, Steven and Robert’s homeland, in 2020.

Steven’s commitment to reinvent fast food continued to inspire new ways to serve fresh, cCean food to the masses. From the first drive thru in Nerang on the Gold Coast in 2015, to launching their 100% Clean menu in 2019. Steven also developed GYG’s breakfast range, the Minis range, GYG’s 100% skin on chipotle seasoned fries & in 2023, crispy chicken tenders. Steven was also the driving force behind GYG’s market leading app which has acquired over 1 million Gomex members for guests to order ahead for pick up as well as earning loyalty points.

Today GYG is one of the fastest growing QSR businesses in the world with plans to open 40 restaurants per year and operates over 205 restaurants in Australia, Singapore, Japan and the United States. In October 2023, Steven appointed Hilton Brett as Co-Ceo of Guzman y Gomez. Steven Marks remains the Founder and co-CEO of the business globally and is firmly focussed on maintaining GYG’s unique energy and culture by employing the best talent in Australia and Internationally.

He is a committed philanthropist raising millions of dollars and actively supporting Mision Mexico, a charity in Mexico dedicated to ending poverty for the youth of Mexico. Steven is a sought after public speaker and remains committed to taking GYG’s food and guest experience to the world and re-inventing fast food along the way.