Building A Business That Gives Back

With Evelyn Cartlidge of Zambrero Cannonvale

Zambrero Franchise Partner Evelyn Cartlidge opened Cannonvale’s beloved store 10 years ago, after following her heart and finding exactly what she was looking for.

Born in Southeast Queensland, Evelyn arrived in the Whitsundays in 2012, aged 22. Having spent the previous three years working her way around Australia taking on everything from farm work to sales, she visited a friend in Bowen. Evelyn’s intention was to stay for a brief spell before crossing back to Western Australia for the grain harvest. Only, as many do, she fell in love with our region and never left.

Evelyn had spent a few years electrical testing and tagging when she decided she wanted the Whitsundays to be her permanent home. With that realisation came the time to set down roots and discover what it was she really wanted to do.

It wasn’t long before she found it.

“Since I was a little girl, I’ve loved eating and making Mexican food,” Evelyn explains.

“On a trip to Townsville, I tried Zambrero for the first time and loved it. I did a bit of research about the brand and on my second visit, while sitting in the food court, I noticed their napkins said they were looking for franchise partners. I enquired soon after and was signed up by the end of the phone call.”

In 2016, she opened the Cannonvale store.

What sealed the deal for Evelyn was finding a business that aligned with her ethics.

A highlight of her career has been watching the company’s Plate 4 Plate initiative change lives.

“When we opened the Cannonvale store, the Zambrero network had donated approximately 6 million meals,” Evelyn says.

“Today we are sitting at over 100 million. I still remember the day we ticked over 10 million; they paused our digital counter so we could take photos and appreciate the milestone. It’s incredibly humbling to think in a relatively short time, we have changed the lives of so many people, both in Australia and overseas, who would otherwise have gone without food.

“Last year as a restaurant, Cannonvale also began a monthly donation to Cents for Seeds, an initiative of the Love Mercy Foundation. We have donated over 200kg of seeds in aid of the 19,000 Ugandan women Love Mercy has in their program.”

As well as this impact, another highlight for Evelyn was seeing her store become increasingly self-sustaining. After investing years of hard work and long days to launch the franchise, she could step back, building a team she could trust to run the show whilst she was away.

“I stopped working nights and was able to do housework at a normal hour, instead of keeping my neighbours awake with the vacuuming!” Evelyn laughs.

“I can honestly say I wouldn’t have made it to this point personally or professionally without the support of my parents, customers, team and wider ‘village’. While I may be the Franchisee, to say I do this all on my own would be erroneous.”

What advice would you offer other young businesswomen?

Hold on. Everything will be alright in the end. If it’s not alright, it is not yet the end.

What inner qualities do you believe matter most for success in business?

Grit. The ability to get stuck in and get it done. And a positive outlook. If you’re always thinking about what could go wrong, without taking the time to celebrate what is going right, you’re suffering the whole time. What’s the point in that?

zambrero.com.au/locations/cannonvale

‍