The Partnership

Tres Picosos, the Colorado-based Mexican food manufacturer, has placed its Tres Locos brand inside Evolvending's automated dining kiosks at four U.S. airports, giving travelers round-the-clock access to hot burritos and street tacos without a staffed counter. The rollout spans Minneapolis-St. Paul International (MSP Terminal 1, Concourse G), Boston Logan (BOS), Charleston International (CHS), and Southwest Florida International (RSW).

The MSP placement is particularly high-traffic: Concourse G serves Delta Air Lines, one of the airport's dominant carriers. At each location, the Tres Locos kiosk stocks the brand's top-selling burritos — Bacon Breakfast, Chicken Fajita, Picadillo Beef, and Pork Carnitas — alongside street-style tacos, covering dayparts from breakfast through late night.

Market Context

For c-store operators, the Tres Picosos move signals where automated foodservice is heading. The hot food vending machine market in the U.S. and Canada stood at $5.5 billion in early 2026 and is projected to reach $9.6 billion by 2036, according to Vending Times — a trajectory that puts pressure on traditional forecourt and back-of-house foodservice programs to compete on convenience and extended hours.

Tres Picosos already moves product through QSR, convenience, and grocery channels, with nationwide distribution through Dot Foods, Inc. and KINEXO. Adding high-dwell airport locations extends the brand's reach into a captive consumer set that overlaps significantly with the road-trip and travel occasion that convenience retailers have long targeted with roller grill and dispensed-beverage programs.

"The Evolvending concept fills an important need when convenience is essential, and enjoyment is valued," said Jane Hartgrove, founder and chief executive of Tres Picosos. "Now, customers can get delicious Mexican food exactly how and when they want it — hot and ready — even when the rest of the world is closed."

What's Next

Evolvending CEO Valentina Ellison framed the Tres Locos addition as part of a deliberate brand-mix strategy. "Tres Locos is a fantastic brand that delivers authentic, high-quality Mexican cuisine," Ellison said. "We're excited to add one of America's favorite food categories to our platform while giving our airport partners even greater flexibility to meet evolving traveler preferences."

Tres Picosos says additional airport placements are planned in the coming months, though specific markets were not disclosed. The WBENC-certified, woman-owned company has operated since 2005 and also markets Mexican foodservice programs under its Naughty Chile Taqueria and Saluda brands — assets that could follow Tres Locos into automated retail as the channel matures.

For c-store buyers and category managers tracking multichannel foodservice competition, the Evolvending partnership is a reminder that branded burrito programs are no longer the exclusive domain of the heated grab-and-go case.

Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.