Tortilla secures new investor, set to enhance technological capabilities: Fast-casual Mexican restaurant brand Tortilla has secured a new investor – Auctor Group, the backer of Kaikaku, a London-based technology and restaurant start-up. Tortilla said the deal will help enhance its technological capabilities, including “exploring innovations such as robotics” and artificial intelligence (AI)-powered customer engagement tools that can further elevate its customer experience. Quilvest Capital Partners, the global private equity firm that first invested in Tortilla in 2011, has sold its 20% stake to Auctor, as part of the winding down of its fund. Consequently, Loeiz Lagadec, the non-executive director who represented Quilvest’s interest, will step down from the Tortilla board. As part of Auctor’s new major shareholding, it has nominated managing director Usman Ali to take the role of non-executive director on Tortilla’s board. Tortilla said the appointment underscores the company’s strategic emphasis on technology as one of its “Vital 5 growth pillars”, with Auctor bringing key industry experience through its investment in Kaikaku, a company “reinventing the quick service restaurant industry with its proprietary hardware and software stack to enable automation”. Tortilla said it also aims to enhance its digital and operational capabilities, exploring innovations such as robotics, advanced data analytics, and AI-powered customer engagement tools that can further streamline restaurant efficiency and elevate its customer experience. Andy Naylor, chief executive at Tortilla, said: “I am delighted to welcome Auctor as a new major shareholder in the company, and feel our strategies and experience are aligned to further drive our tech-enabled growth. Technology remains one of our ‘Vital 5’ strategic pillars. In 2024, we made good progress on this strategy, introducing self-service kiosks and new food-preparation equipment that have driven a notable lift in operational efficiencies. With the backing and expertise of Auctor, we plan to keep trialling cutting-edge technology solutions that fuel both operational improvements and sustained customer growth.” Ali said: “We are excited to support Tortilla’s ‘Vital 5’ strategy, combining Tortilla’s exceptional quality, beloved Mexican recipes, and strong value proposition with cutting-edge technological advancements designed to elevate operational efficiency and enhance the customer experience. As the leading fast-casual Mexican restaurant brand in Europe, these initiatives will play a pivotal role in driving shareholder value.” Lagadec said: “We at Quilvest are extremely proud of having partnered with Tortilla over the past 14 years. When we first invested in the company, it was operating just seven sites in the UK. It now has 121 sites globally and has become, by far, the largest Mexican burrito fast-casual concept in Europe. What a journey!” Kaikaku was founded in 2023 by Josef Chen, Piers Millar and Ivan Tregear, along with David Sharp, a former engineer at grocery company Ocado. Together, they’ve so far raised $2.5m (£1.9m) for the venture and are expecting to seek further investment soon. They operate the Common Room in the Brunswick Centre, where Kaikaku’s machine system – known as Fusion – moves bowls along a conveyor belt and gradually fills them up with salad vegetables and other ingredients from overhead funnels, before squirting them with dressing or sauces. The whole process takes barely ten seconds, with customers able to order from a set menu or choose their own ingredients. Ultimately, the company’s goal is to “bring restaurants into the 21st century and make fast food even faster”. Kaikaku’s first road test of its robots last June saw its machines produce 3,500 bowls of salad during the month. Brandon Stephens, founder of Tortilla, said: “As a Silicon Valley native, I’ve always believed in the value technology can bring to hospitality. Tortilla was one of the first UK hospitality businesses to leverage digital tools to streamline operations – long before delivery became the industry standard. As both a founder and a technology product enthusiast, I’m thrilled to continue supporting our commitment to innovation, ensuring that technology remains a key driver of Tortilla’s growth and performance.” Founded in 2007, Tortilla currently operates 81 UK sites (of which 13 are franchise stores), 28 in France (of which 15 are franchise stores) and 12 franchise stores in the Middle East. Tortilla features in the Propel 500 report, an unparalleled resource that profiles the UK’s leading hospitality operators ranked by turnover – which is available now. This comprehensive report provides more than 90,000 words of analysis, delving into company histories, leadership structures, site numbers and financial performance, making it an essential resource for industry professionals. A list of the operators included can be discovered now by visiting the Propel 500 page on Propel’s website. The guide is delivered in two parts: an introductory PDF, featuring deep dives into the top 25 companies and 6,500 words of insight from Propel’s expert writers, and a fully searchable Excel sheet, offering easy access to all the data. Key highlights include Mark Wingett’s exploration of mergers and acquisitions shaping the Top 500’s future, Tim Street’s view of the UK’s franchise market, and Phil Pemberton’s insights into experiential leisure as a hospitality cornerstone. Katherine Doggrell examines developments in UK hotels, while Mark Bentley, business development director at HDI, identifies emerging growth sectors, and Maria Vanifatova, founder of Meaningful Vision, analyses trends in quick service restaurants. Propel 500 is available now for £595 plus VAT. Existing Premium Club members can purchase it for £395 plus VAT. Premium Club members will receive the report for free on Friday, 28 February at 9am. Order the Propel 500 report today by emailing: kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com.