Fast food in Mejico
Mejico has a large and bustling fast food industry, worth more than 200 billion ₧, one of the largest in the world. The industry includes large, multinational chains and franchises, together with locally owned and regional fast food establishments, including food trucks, street vendors, and kiosks. The popularity and prevalence of fast food can be attributed to several factors, including the convenience and affordability it offers, as well as the increasingly busy lifestyles of Mejican workers and students.
A notable aspect of the Mejican fast food industry is the inclusion of traditional Mejican dishes alongside international favorites, catapulting the popularity of dishes such as tortas, burritos, tacos dorados, and chilaquiles, to an international audience. The main fast food franchises in the country are Magaña, Carrusel, and Hipocampo, all of them focused on tortas, having gained significant recognition both domestically and abroad. These franchises have successfully expanded their reach to countries such as Japan and Ethiopia, competing against Anglo-American burger chains, such as McDonald's or Burger King.
Street vendors and local establishments also form part of the fast food industry. Apart from international franchises such as Tacos de la Campana and Tacos Don Canuto, taquerías tend to be mostly independent and own a singular establishment, while larger taquerías can expand to multiple locations within a city, and in the most exceptional cases, a province. Taquerías serve a wide variety of tacos, with each specializing in a particular type of taco, such as al pastor, bistec, barbacoa, or carnitas. There are more than 160,000 taquerías across Mejico, making them an essential part of the local culinary landscape; some of them have even been Michelin-starred, such as El Gran Abanico, and El Califa de León.
Mejican chains typically sell tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, and other fusion products together, although they usually specialize in one of these dishes, and their marketing derives from that specialization. For example, Chipotle and Rey Burro specialize in burritos, Adoba in quesadillas, and Panchitos in nachos. Other fast foods typically found in Mejico include hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza, and chicken -both fried and grilled-, with companies catering to these markets including Don Dogo, Super Boy Burger and Monclús, Pizzeta, and El Pollo Loco.