Tortilla names Andy Naylor as new CEO

Tortilla’s UK MD Andy Naylor has been appointed CEO of the fast-casual Mexican chain.

He will take over from current CEO Richard Morris, who has worked at Tortilla for the last decade.

Naylor has worked alongside Morris for the last seven years, firstly as chief financial officer, before expanding his role with added business development responsibilities, and more recently as UK managing director.

“The Tortilla brand has huge potential and I am excited to be taking on the role of CEO,” said Naylor.

“Recent years have seen the group take significant strides to expand our presence through our multi-channel business strategy and strengthen our platform for further profitable growth and I am looking forward to working with the team to accelerate this journey.”

Morris added: “After an incredible 10 years with Tortilla, I feel this is the right time to step back and hand the burrito baton over to Andy and the team.

“It has been an extraordinary and exhilarating journey, bookmarked by huge events such as Brexit, Covid, the development of both our franchise and delivery strategy and, of course, an IPO.

"The business has proved highly adaptable and remains a market leading offer in the fast casual space. I leave behind a highly qualified and inspiring board and an outstanding executive team who are ready for the next stage of Tortilla’s development. It has been a privilege to work with such a talented group of people, our loyal customers, suppliers and wider stakeholders and I shall continue to cheerlead loudly from the sidelines.”

Tortilla was founded in 2007 and runs around 85 UK restaurants.

The burrito brand reported a loss before tax of £0.6m in the six months to 2 July 2023, but revenue rose 22% to £32.7m. Morris told The Caterer last year the results were "not a concern" for the businesss".

Earlier this month, Tortilla announced it had ended its delivery partnership with Deliveroo after commission charges “challenged margin performance”.

Tortilla's expansion this year will focus on restaurants in travel hubs. The group has launched five sites with SSP since 2019, including venues at Manchester Piccadilly and London Euston stations, and will launch a further four restaurants this year.