News Corp Australia
First published 18 Feb 2026, 6:00am
The Queensland boss of fast-growing Mexican food chain Guzman y Gomez has spiced up Brisbane’s prestige property market, snapping up a blue-chip address for a cool $10.85m.
Property records reveal the state head of the popular burrito empire is the buyer of a luxury residence in tightly held Henry St, Ascot — one of the city’s most coveted riverside pockets.
The brand recently announced an aggressive national expansion plan, which includes rolling out new stores and drive-thru restaurants in Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales, and the ACT.
This house in Henry St, Ascot, sold for $10.85m.
Eddie Maradiegue (left) brought GYG to Queensland with his brother Humberto. Picture: Drew Fitzgibbon
Eduardo Maradiegue and his brother, Humberto, brought Guzman y Gomez to Queensland from Sydney in 2010.
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The offmarket sale of the Ascot property to Mr Maradiegue adds to a run of heavyweight transactions in Brisbane’s inner-north, where deep-pocketed buyers from the property, mining and business sectors continue to jostle for a slice of the enclave’s grand homes and manicured streets.
The deal was negotiated by Nick Roche and Damon Warat of Ray White Ascot.
The Guzman Y Gomez store at Ripley, Ipswich.
The Henry St property is a sprawling family home designed by Joe Adsett and Tim Stewart Architects, with high-end finishes and resort-style amenities — the kind of property increasingly commanding eight-figure sums as Brisbane’s top end matures.
Ascot has long been synonymous with old-money Queensland prestige, characterised by heritage estates, contemporary architectural builds and proximity to elite schools and the CBD. But in recent years, the suburb has also attracted a new wave of entrepreneurial wealth, particularly from executives and founders who have capitalised on the state’s strong population growth and business migration.
An artist’s impression of the house in Henry St, Ascot, which was designed by Tim Stewart Architects. Image: Tim Stewart Architects.
While entry-level buyers are grappling with a shrinking pool of sub-$500,000 options, the city’s top tier has seen competition intensify for trophy homes in blue-chip suburbs including Ascot, Hamilton and New Farm.
An analysis of the most expensive homes sold in the past 12 months reveals the buyers behind the biggest deals overwhelmingly come from mining and property industries.
Property records reveal a $25m house in New Farm was sold by a property developer, a $23m house in Ascot sold to a construction boss, a $17.5m New Farm apartment was bought by the global head of a natural resources fund, and another mining CEO paid $10.5m for a six-bedroom house in Paddington.
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Industry analysts say high-income earners and business leaders are increasingly choosing to base themselves in Brisbane, drawn by lifestyle appeal, relative value compared to Sydney and Melbourne, and the lead-up to the 2032 Olympic Games.
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