Sunny Singh doesn’t chase flashy ventures. As founder and CEO of Adobo Fresh Burrito, he’s built one of Canada’s fastest-growing fast-casual franchises by doing exactly what many entrepreneurs overlook: embracing the monotonous, grinding work that real success demands. Having scaled 36 locations across Canada, Singh has proven that “boring” businesses—when run with discipline, data and heart—can quietly dominate.
In the following interview, Singh shares the philosophy behind Adobo’s deliberate growth, his take on crisis leadership and why consistency, systems and a strong team culture matter more than hype. His approach is practical and refreshingly no-nonsense: “You have to be willing to do the same things, day in and day out, even when they aren’t exciting,” he says. “That’s what makes a business work.”
Tell us about your company and how it’s grown.
Adobo Fresh Burrito began with a single location in the Greater Toronto Area. I’ll admit it, we were nervous opening it right next to a major competitor. However, the situation forced us to think on our feet and focus on offering a consistent, high-quality experience while also developing systems that we could scale.
We also realized early on that to operate successfully, we needed to invest in market research and become adept at reading data. This proved to be our most effective strategy
Since that first location, Adobo Fresh Burrito expanded to 36 locations across Canada. This has been possible because we were always thinking about creating systems. Instead of aiming for rapid growth, we focused on enhancing our operations, training and supporting our employees, and ensuring that each location consistently delivered on the quality and experience that our brand offers.
I’ve learned that growth isn’t just about opening new stores—it’s about building repeatable processes, empowering teams and creating experiences that customers value. This mindset continues to guide us even today and is the reason behind our expansion.
You’ve talked about succeeding at “boring businesses.” What do you mean by that?
When I talk about “boring businesses,” I refer to the ones that often look or sound unglamorous on the surface — like small restaurants, service shops, laundromats and other ventures that don’t attract as much attention as, say, tech startups. Yet, these businesses are vital to communities. They create jobs, provide essential services and can turn a profit with focus and hard work.
For me, it all began with burritos. While I was studying in California, burritos and tacos were part of my daily life. When I moved to Canada, I couldn’t find anything that matched those flavors, and I missed them. That void motivated me to bring the experience to Canada. I quickly realized that a franchising business will require a great deal of monotonous work.
These types of businesses require patience, consistency and a willingness to do repetitive tasks. I decided early on to set aside an hour or more for these every day. What keeps me going is focusing on the big picture: building something sustainable, creating opportunities for others and proving that even “boring” businesses can succeed with complete commitment.
What does it take to excel at crisis leadership?
As a business, we’ve gone through the pandemic, inflation and now the trade war. When faced with such a crisis, we always try to go back and study what we did in the past and its results. In case of lack of information, we have looked at what big corporations like McDonald’s or Popeyes do and try to analyze it. Take inflation as an example. When costs were rising, it would have been easy to raise prices. However, we saw other bigger fast-casual chains like KFC offering deals instead. This revealed an important insight: customers are under pressure too, and retaining them during hard times is much more valuable than focusing on short-term profits.
Equally important as a leader is to focus on innovation and efficiency. During a crisis, we examine every area of the business, from labor and utilities to overhead costs. We also look into smarter supply-chain options to maintain food quality. By doing this type of breakdown and focusing on the fundamentals such as efficiency, overall customer experience and our employee motivation, we manage to address challenges effectively without sacrificing long-term growth.
How do you keep teams motivated when times are tough?
During tough times, it’s crucial to help the team understand that we are facing the same challenging situation together. We must communicate to them that it’s okay to feel the pressure. While some may want higher salaries, the reality is that the business cannot always provide that immediately. Taking the time to listen, acknowledge concerns and show genuine appreciation helps keep morale high.
Clear and positive communication is also important. I focus on explaining why new initiatives or changes are necessary and how they help the team succeed in the long run. By celebrating small wins and regularly reminding the team of our larger goals, we create a shared sense of purpose that keeps everyone motivated and working together, even when times are tough.
What’s next for Adobo?
At Adobo, currently we are focused on steady, deliberate growth. We’re prioritizing the fundamentals: strengthening operations, refining processes and ensuring every location runs smoothly. Expansion is on the way, but only when we identify prospects that are truly promising and align with our vision.
We believe in building a solid foundation first. By concentrating on the present and getting the basics right, we’re preparing ourselves for sustainable, long-term success. When the time is right, we’ll scale thoughtfully, confident that our team and operations will be ready for the next chapter.
