Andy Naylor, who served as the UK Managing Director for Tortilla, has been named the new CEO of the fast-casual Mexican chain.
He will succeed the current CEO, Richard Morris, who has dedicated the last decade to his role at Tortilla.
Naylor has collaborated with Morris for the past seven years, initially serving as the chief financial officer. Over time, his role expanded to include business development responsibilities. More recently, he assumed the position of 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 established in 2007 and currently operates approximately 85 restaurants across the UK.
During the six months leading up to July 2, 2023, the burrito brand reported a loss before tax amounting to £0.6 million. However, despite this loss, revenue experienced a notable increase, rising by 22% to reach £32.7 million.
Earlier this month, Tortilla made public its decision to terminate its delivery partnership with Deliveroo. This move came as a response to commission charges from Deliveroo that posed challenges to the company's margin performance.
Tortilla's expansion strategy for this year will prioritise opening restaurants in travel hubs. The company has already launched five sites in partnership with SSP since 2019, including venues at Manchester Piccadilly and London Euston stations. Additionally, Tortilla plans to open four more restaurants in such locations throughout the course of this year.