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By Ed Avis
Every one knows that Mexican food is super popular, and now the data back that up. A report from food industry research firm Technomic reveals that U.S. sales volume for limited-service Mexican restaurants was higher than any other cuisine in 2024. Pizza restaurants had held that spot, but not anymore.
“In 2024, total U.S. sales volume for limited-service Mexican chain restaurants was $34 billion, versus $31 billion for limited-service pizza chains,” says Kevin Schimpf, senior director of industry research for Technomic.
And if the trends continue, the gap between Mexican and pizza will get even bigger in the coming years -- Mexican chain sales rose by nearly 9 percent on an annual basis in 2024 compared to just a 0.5 percent increase for pizza chains, according to Technomic's 2025 Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report, which was released in April.
The report notes that the growth of Mexican restaurant sales was led the two largest chain players in the space: Taco Bell and Chipotle Mexican Grill. Chipotle saw sales growth of 15 percent in 2024 and Taco Bell enjoyed 8 percent growth.
Overall, the top 500 U.S. chain sales reached an annual total of $437 billion, accounting for more than 60 percent of all U.S. restaurant industry sales in 2024.
Click here to read el Restaurante’s 2025 Mexican Multi-Unit Report, which provides a list of the 50 largest chains and information about trends in that area.
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