Tijuana Flats

Tijuana Flats is a Tex-Mex fast-casual restaurant brand that serves tacos, burritos, bowls, and similar items in a relaxed, counter-order environment. Guests typically order at the counter and stay for table delivery or take food to go, with digital ordering and takeout now playing a larger role in day-to-day sales.

The company was founded in 1995 in Winter Park, Florida, by Brian Wheeler, then a recent University of Central Florida graduate who opened the first restaurant with borrowed funds. That original shop built a strong following among local students and nearby neighborhoods, which gave the concept enough momentum to expand across Central Florida and, over time, into other parts of the Southeast. A notable milestone came in the mid-to-late 2000s, when Tijuana Flats passed the 50-unit mark and cemented its reputation for bold artwork, hot sauce bars, and a straightforward quick-service format.

As the fast-casual category evolved, Tijuana Flats began updating its restaurants with more technology-forward elements, including digital menu boards and refreshed interiors, while leaning further into off-premise and catering business. The early 2020s were a challenging period financially, and the company entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2024, closing a number of underperforming locations and tightening operations. It emerged from bankruptcy in early 2025 with a leaner footprint, a cleaner operating model, and a plan that emphasized menu refinement, consistency in execution, and selective new-unit growth in existing Southeastern trade areas.

Later in 2025, &pizza acquired Tijuana Flats and combined it with its own brand under a new parent entity, Latitude Food Group, which is based out of the Maitland, Florida headquarters historically associated with Tijuana Flats. As of November 2025, Tijuana Flats operates about 95 restaurants across Florida, Alabama, North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, and nearby Southeastern states, giving it a regional scale that is large enough to move the needle for multi-site landlords while still concentrated enough to feel like a neighborhood brand. Within this platform, Tijuana Flats is positioned for measured expansion rather than rapid rollout, with priority given to markets where consumer awareness and existing store performance already support additional units.

For landlords, brokers, and developers, Tijuana Flats typically functions as an inline or endcap restaurant in neighborhood centers, grocery-anchored projects, and busy retail corridors, and it can also play a supporting role in some mixed-use environments. The concept’s Tex-Mex positioning, familiar price point, and fast-casual service model make it a steady traffic driver across lunch, dinner, and early evening, which can help support surrounding retailers and service tenants. The brand’s current growth posture under Latitude Food Group, combined with its long operating history in Florida and the broader Southeast, makes Tijuana Flats a recognizable and resilient tenant candidate for projects looking to strengthen everyday food-and-beverage offerings in those regions.