Boojum

What Boojum does

Boojum is an Irish-founded fast-casual restaurant chain operating under Boojum Ltd, headquartered in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Founded in 2007, the company operates 20+ owned (non-franchised) restaurants across Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and Great Britain, specializing in made-to-order Mexican burritos, bowls, tacos, and nachos built through a step-based customizable ordering flow. Food is prepared fresh in-store daily using traditional Mexican recipes and authentic specialty ingredients — including Mexican oregano, achiote paste, epazote, avocado leaves, annatto seeds, and five or more varieties of chillies — without microwaves or freezers. Operations are supported by two production kitchens and a crew of 480+ across stores and head office.

The business generates revenue across multiple streams: dine-in and Click 'N Collect sales at owned restaurants; third-party delivery via Deliveroo, Just Eat, and Uber Eats; corporate catering with Burrito Party Boxes for 20-150+ people; retail packaged meals distributed through Henderson's SPAR, EUROSPAR, ViVO, and ViVOXTRA stores across Northern Ireland; Boojum At Home BBQ Cookout Kits delivered chilled via DPD; and digital/physical gift cards. The technology stack includes a proprietary mobile app (iOS/Android) for Click 'N Collect ordering and stamp-based loyalty (10 stamps = free meal, 40 stamps = free t-shirt), cashless card/contactless-only payments processed via Stripe and Braintree, and Google Analytics for site optimization. Customer segments include health-conscious general consumers, students (targeted via Freshers campaigns distributing up to 20,000 free burritos and £5/€6 main meal discounts), corporate/event catering buyers, retail grocery consumers in Northern Ireland, and vegan/vegetarian customers served via co-developed plant-based SKUs with MOCK and Oumph!. David Maxwell serves as Managing Director, and 70% of general managers are promoted from crew-level positions.

The company's growth has been anchored in 2024 by a four-store Great Britain rollout — Leeds (April), Nottingham (September), Birmingham (November), and Liverpool (December) — marking its first expansion outside Ireland and Northern Ireland. Boojum maintains partnerships with NOW Group for the JAM Card accessibility initiative, Repak for packaging sustainability, Cholula for limited-time menu collaborations, and SPAR-group retailers for at-home grocery distribution. A major menu overhaul introducing eight new Signature dishes, four new salsas/dressings, and expanded sides/proteins is scheduled for 2026.

Name

Boojum

Legal name

Boojum Ltd

Website

https://boojummex.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Boojum is an Irish-founded fast-casual Mexican restaurant chain operating 20+ owned stores across Ireland and Great Britain, serving customizable burritos, bowls, and tacos made fresh daily in-store, with supplemental revenue from delivery, catering, retail packaged meals, and meal kits.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fast-casual Mexican dining

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Mexican & Tex-Mex Fast Casual (THAFABAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mexican/Latin QSR (Tacos, Burritos, Bowls) (THAFAAAE)

Keywords

• Fast-casual dining
• Mexican restaurant chain
• Burrito bars
• Quick service restaurant
• Restaurant catering services

Headquarters

HQ city

Belfast

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Food Sales: Core revenue from selling made-to-order Mexican burritos, bowls, tacos, nachos, and sides through owned restaurant locations. Customers can dine in, take away, or order via Click 'N Collect.
2. Delivery Services: Revenue from delivery orders placed through third-party platforms (Deliveroo, Just Eat, Uber Eats). Commission-based model through delivery partners.
3. Catering Services: Corporate event catering with Burrito Party Boxes (20-150+ people) and Personal Boxes (20-50 people). Available 7 days a week, 12pm-9pm.
4. Retail Packaged Products: Pre-packaged ready meals sold through Henderson's SPAR, EUROSPAR, ViVO, and ViVOXTRA stores across Northern Ireland. High protein, low fat, under 500 calories.
5. Gift Cards: Digital and physical gift cards sold for in-store purchases. Available for purchase online with instant email delivery.
6. Boojum At Home Meal Kits: BBQ Cookout Kits and other meal kits delivered to customers across the island of Ireland via DPD. Fully chilled, ready to cook at home.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Boojum is Ireland's original Mexican burrito bar chain, operating 20+ owned fast-casual restaurants across Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and Great Britain. The chain sells customisable, made-to-order burritos, bowls, tacos, signatures, salads, and snacks/sides prepared fresh in-store daily using authentic Mexican recipes and ingredients, complemented by a mobile loyalty app, corporate catering services, gift cards, and retail packaged ready meals in select Northern Ireland grocery stores.

Product overview

Boojum is an Irish Mexican fast-casual restaurant chain offering fully customisable burritos, bowls, tacos, nachos, and signature dishes. The core offering consists of build-your-own meals (burritos in 5 steps, bowls in 5 steps, tacos in 4 steps) alongside curated Signature dishes and salads available as burrito or bowl. The product portfolio includes the Loyalty App for stamp collection and mobile ordering, Gift Cards for gifting, Catering services for events, and a Retail Range of ready meals for grocery stores. The brand emphasises fresh, handmade food cooked daily in-store without freezers or microwaves, using traditional Mexican recipes and ingredients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Burritos Fully customisable Mexican burritos built in 5 steps with fillings, salsas, cheese, dressings and extras. Made fresh in-store daily. Targeted at dine-in, takeaway, Click 'N Collect, and delivery customers.
• Burrito Bowls All components of a burrito served without the tortilla - rice, beans, proteins, salsas, and toppings. Built in 5 customisable steps. Targeted at dine-in, takeaway, Click 'N Collect, and delivery customers.
• Tacos Hard shell tacos built in 4 steps - fillings, salsas and sauces, cheese and dressings, and extras. Multiple protein options including plant-based. Targeted at dine-in and takeaway customers.
• Snacks & Sides Loaded nachos, crispy patatas, tortilla chips with salsas, beef chilli pots and bowls, and snacking tacos. Includes vegetarian and vegan options. Targeted at dine-in, takeaway, and delivery customers.
• Boojum Signatures Chef-curated signature dishes available as burrito or bowl, designed as 1-tap shortcuts for quick ordering. Includes dishes such as California Birria, Boojum OG Chicken, and Pineapple Habanero Carnitas. Targeted at customers seeking fast, pre-designed meal options.
• Signature Salads Salad bowls available as burrito or bowl, including Chipotle Caesar Salad and Cholula Honey Ranch Salad. Targeted at health-conscious customers and diners seeking lighter meal options.
• Boojum Loyalty App Mobile application for iOS and Android enabling Click 'N Collect ordering, loyalty stamp collection (10 stamps for free meal, 40 for t-shirt), and mobile wallet for payments. Targeted at existing Boojum customers seeking repeat-order convenience and rewards.
• Gift Cards Digital and physical gift cards available for purchase in-store or online. Delivered instantly via email or sold in-store. Valid for in-store purchases only. Targeted at consumers seeking gift options for friends, family, or colleagues.
• Catering Corporate event and party catering service offering Burrito Party Boxes (20-150+ people) and Personal Boxes (20-50 people). Available 7 days a week, 12pm-9pm, within 3km of stores. Delivery charge applies. Targeted at businesses and organisations ordering bulk catering for workplace events and parties.
• Boojum At Home Retail Range Ready meals available in SPAR, EUROSPAR, ViVO and ViVOXTRA stores across Northern Ireland. Restaurant-quality Mexican meals high in protein, under 500 calories, low in fat. Targeted at retail/grocery consumers seeking restaurant-quality food at home.
• Boojum At Home BBQ Cookout Kit BBQ kit delivered across Ireland via DPD containing Mexican spiced chicken thighs, flat iron steaks, corn on the cob, peppers, onions, rice, salsas, and tortillas. Delivered chilled in sustainable packaging. Feeds 4+ people. Targeted at consumers seeking at-home Mexican dining experiences.
• Click 'N Collect Order-ahead service via app or website for in-store pickup. Available for iOS and Android. Loyalty stamps automatically applied to app orders. Targeted at consumers seeking fast pickup without waiting in line.

Quantifiable outcome

• #6 most ordered dish globally on Deliveroo (Top Trending 2023)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NOW GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partnership with NOW Group, a social enterprise supporting people with learning difficulties and autism, to introduce the JAM Card initiative in all Boojum stores across Ireland. All staff trained to recognize JAM Cards to aid customers with communication barriers. Expanded to GB with Leeds becoming the first JAM Card friendly hospitality partner in Great Britain.
• Deliveroo, Just Eat, Uber EatscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party delivery platform partnerships for delivering Boojum food to customers. Available on all three major delivery platforms though not all stores offer all platforms.
• RepakminorOthersEnvironmental not-for-profit organization member helping businesses improve packaging sustainability and encouraging consumers to reduce, reuse and recycle. Boojum is a proud member funding recycling of their packaging.
• Ben & Jerry'sminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPride 2021 partnership to give away free Ben & Jerry's Cookie Dough Peace Pops with orders during Pride Week celebrations across Irish and UK cities.
• MOCKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with MOCK to create plant-based protein alternatives including [Mock] Carne Asada (Vegan Society certified) and Vegan Alt Pastor. Products created exclusively for Boojum.
• Oumph!coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Oumph! to create plant-based Mexican chicken for Veganuary 2022. 100% vegan friendly alternative to famous spiced chicken.
• CholulacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaboration with Cholula for Cholula Hot Honey Chicken - a limited time menu item combining Cholula hot sauce with honey glaze. Summer seasonal promotion.
• Henderson's SPAR, EUROSPAR, ViVO, ViVOXTRAcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail distribution partnership for Boojum At Home packaged ready meals. Available in select stores across Northern Ireland. Products made to restaurant standards, high protein, under 500 calories.
• Braintree, StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party payment processing services. Boojum does not store credit/debit card information on their systems.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Tortilla Mexican Grill: UK-listed fast-casual Mexican burrito/taco chain with comparable build-your-own menu and multi-store footprint across the UK. Most direct competitor to Boojum in the UK fast-casual Mexican segment and a key benchmark for UK unit economics.
• Barburrito: UK fast-casual burrito chain operating company-owned and franchised stores. Direct competitor with similar build-your-own Mexican positioning and overlapping UK store geography.
• Wahaca: UK Mexican restaurant group founded by Thomasina Miers with sit-in and takeaway formats. Comparable in menu ambition (authentic Mexican, sustainable sourcing) and in competing for the same UK consumer occasion.
• Chilango: London-based fast-casual burrito chain with a build-your-own menu similar to Boojum. Comparable in price point, customisation model, and target demographic of urban professionals and students.

Broad incumbents

• Chipotle Mexican Grill: US-listed fast-casual Mexican category leader that has been expanding into the UK and Europe. Sets the competitive bar on menu innovation, supply chain, and digital ordering that Boojum must compete against in UK cities.
• Taco Bell: Global QSR Mexican chain operated by Yum! Brands with UK franchise presence. While more QSR than fast-casual, it competes for the same low-to-mid price point Mexican occasion and benefits from massive marketing budgets.
• Qdoba Mexican Eats: US fast-casual Mexican chain (owned by Apollo Global Management) with build-your-own burritos, bowls, and tacos. Comparable to Boojum in menu structure, customization model, and category positioning.

Regional players

• Poncho's Mexican Burrito: Irish-owned Mexican burrito chain operating across the Republic of Ireland. Most directly comparable competitor within Boojum's home Irish market, competing for the same student and lunchtime customer base.

Emerging players

• Freshii: Canadian health-focused fast-casual chain offering bowls, salads, and wraps. Comparable to Boojum in the health-conscious, customisable, plant-based-friendly positioning and similar demographic targeting.
• Itsu: UK-based Asian-inspired fast-casual chain with strong loyalty app, digital ordering, and retail grocery range. Comparable to Boojum in scale, digital-first DNA, and multi-channel (dine-in, delivery, retail) strategy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/boojummex
• Facebookfacebook.com/boojummex
• Instagraminstagram.com/boojummex/?hl=en
• TikToktiktok.com/@boojummex
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/boojum

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Boojum