Q&A: CalTort Flips Ordering System

California Tortilla is a fast-growing Mexican multi-unit. Keith Goldman, the company’s CEO, spoke with el Restaurante. This is the second of three articles based on that conversation. Read More

Light the Fire: On Saturdays, Cuban Food Truck Cooks on Wood

Like thousands of Cubans, Edirberto Avila left Cuba in search of a better future. He worked in construction and Mexican restaurants, and in 2019 opened his own restaurant, Tacos los Amigos, in Kentucky. In August he opened a new version in Wichita, Kansas, and has added the flavors of his beloved Cuban food. Read More

Woman Takes Reins of Mexican Sommelier Association, Plans Competitions

For the first time in its history, a woman has assumed the presidency of the Asociación de Sommelier Mexicanos A.C. (ASM). Georgina Estrada, who was sworn in on December 2, will hold the position until 2028. Read More

Q&A with Georgina Estrada: Education, Promo Will Grow Mexican Wine Sales in U.S.

Renowned Mexican sommelier Georgina Estrada, recently named the first woman president of the Asociación de Sommeliers Mexicanos A.C., spoke with Alfredo Espinola, el Restaurante’s representative in Mexico City, about her career and the potential for growing Mexican wine sales in U.S. restaurants. Read More

Preguntas y respuestas con Georgina Estrada: La educación y la promoción harán crecer las ventas de vino mexicano en EE.UU.

La reconocida sommelier mexicana Georgina Estrada, recientemente nombrada la primera mujer presidenta de la Asociación de Sommeliers Mexicanos A.C., habló con el representante de el Restaurante en la Ciudad de México, Alfredo Espínola, sobre su carrera y el potencial para hacer crecer las ventas de vino mexicano en los restaurantes de Estados Unidos. Lea Más

¡Ya Oaxaca! Wins $100,000 Pepisco Grant

¡Ya Oaxaca! — a company known for its artisanal Mexican mole sauces, adobos, and salsas — emerged the winner from a pool of eight finalists in PepsiCo’s 2024 Greenhouse Accelerator Program: Juntos Crecemos Edition, a mentor-guided program that supports the growth of emerging consumer packaged food and beverage businesses inspired by Hispanic flavors and culture that are better for people and the planet. Read More

Chicago's Cariño Honored with MICHELIN Star

Chicago’s restaurant scene became one star brighter on December 9, when Mexican/Latin-inspired  Cariño was honored as the Windy City’s newest Michelin-starred restaurant during an awards ceremony in New York City. Read More

Environment Tops NRA What's Hot 2025 List

The What’s Hot 2025 Culinary Forecast from The National Restaurant Association (NRA) is out — and a focus on the environment tops the list of what consumers are looking for in the restaurants they support. The forecast draws on the expertise of industry professionals who were asked to rank 71 items in 7 categories: dishes, ingredients, flavors, condiments, beverages, alcohol beverages, and macro trends. Read More

Barberito's Inks 10-Unit Deal in AL

Fast-casual burrito restaurant Barberitos has signed a 10-unit franchise agreement that will grow the company to multiple locations across Alabama. Read More

They're Back...CHI-CHI's Restaurants

It’s been 20 years since diners could enjoy a meal at CHI-CHI'S™ Restaurants, the once-popular Mexican restaurant chain that shuttered its last location in 2004. Now, thanks to a new agreement with Hormel Foods (owner of CHI-CHI'S™ trademarks), Michael McDermott, son of the chain’s co-founder Marno McDermott, is on track to revive the family’s restaurants, using the CHI-CHI'S™ name on physical locations expected to open in 2025. Read More

Culinary Trends: Tamales

How does someone from a small Mississippi Delta town become not only a tamale maker, but one whose tamales become so beloved that they’re sold not just in his small brick-and-mortar restaurant but to local restaurants, in retail outlets including Kroger and Walmart, and to distributors, too? Read More

Nov/Dec Issue of el Restaurante Now Available!

The latest edition of el Restaurante is now available! The November/December issue features articles about trends in pozole, tamales and mocktails. An article about limited-time offers (LTOs) at California Tortilla will give you ideas on how to succeed with the temporary menu items, and our 10^th annual Independent Mexican Restaurant Report provides info on the state of our industry. Read More