Colorado-based Tres Picosos has partnered with automated dining operator Evolvending to place its Tres Locos Mexican food brand inside U.S. airport terminals, beginning with a live kiosk at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) Terminal 1, Concourse G — a gate complex primarily serving Delta Air Lines. The deal extends Tres Picosos' existing QSR, convenience, and grocery distribution into the airport foodservice channel, where automated retail is gaining ground with 24-hour operators.
The Numbers
The timing aligns with accelerating category momentum. The U.S. and Canada hot food vending machine market is projected to reach $9.6 billion by 2036, up from $5.5 billion in early 2026, according to Vending Times — implying a near-doubling of the segment over roughly a decade. That growth trajectory is drawing branded food manufacturers to seek out automated retail partnerships as a lower-capital route to high-traffic venues compared with traditional concessions buildouts.
Platform and Footprint
The Tres Locos kiosk at MSP offers four burrito SKUs — Bacon Breakfast, Chicken Fajita, Picadillo Beef, and Pork Carnitas — alongside street-style tacos, all served hot on demand. Beyond the MSP standalone kiosk, the Tres Locos brand is also available through Evolvending's EvolveCAFÉ automated dining units at Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Charleston International Airport (CHS), and Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW), broadening the brand's airport footprint to at least four U.S. markets at launch.
"One of the strengths of our platform is our ability to bring together a diverse portfolio of brands that reflects how travelers want to eat today," said Valentina Ellison, CEO of Evolvending. "Tres Locos is a fantastic brand that delivers authentic, high-quality Mexican cuisine. 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."
What's Next
Tres Picosos — a WBENC-certified woman-owned business founded in Colorado in 2005 and distributed nationally through Dot Foods, Inc. and KINEXO — has indicated that additional airport locations are planned in the coming months, suggesting the Evolvending arrangement is structured for network expansion rather than a single-site pilot. Jane Hartgrove, who leads Tres Picosos, framed the partnership as addressing the gap between traveler demand for quality food and the limited hours of conventional airport concessions. The Mexican food segment remains one of the most durable performers in U.S. foodservice, and placing a hot, branded product inside automated kiosks positions Tres Picosos to capture incremental volume in a channel where shelf-stable and cold grab-and-go options have historically dominated. For operators and airport concessionaires, the automated-dining model also reduces labor dependency — a persistent cost pressure across the airport foodservice sector. As Evolvending scales its brand portfolio, the Tres Locos addition illustrates how CPG manufacturers are leveraging foodservice automation to extend reach without the fixed overhead of full-service restaurant agreements.
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.
