Mike Burns named CEO of Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican
He most recently served as CEO of Latitude Food Group, parent company of &pizza and Tijuana Flats
June 2, 2026
Mike Burns has been named chief executive officer of Salt Lake City-based Cafe Rio Fresh Modern Mexican. The fast-casual Mexican chain was founded in 1997 and has grown to more than 150 locations.
Burns joins the brand from Latitude Food Group, parent company of &pizza and Tijuana Flats, where he also served as CEO. Latitude Food Group is a recently formed restaurant holding company created in November 2025 after the Washington, D.C.-based fast-casual chain &pizza acquired the Tex-Mex chain Tijuana Flats. Burns has served as CEO of &pizza since 2023, according to his LinkedIn account.
Prior, he held executive roles at Rave Restaurant Group, Pei Wei and Bojangles. In his new role, he is charged with guiding Cafe Rio into its next chapter of growth ahead of its 30th anniversary celebration next year.
“I’ve been watching Cafe Rio for a long time … so to say I’m thrilled to join as its next CEO is very much an understatement,” Burns said in a statement. “Cafe Rio didn’t build this kind of following by blending in. For nearly 30 years, this brand has led with freshness, quality and authentic Mexican food people flat-out crave. We’re done being quiet. We’re going to bring the energy back, make some noise and put Cafe Rio firmly back where it belongs — leading the conversation instead of just being part of it.”
In 2017, private equity firm Freeman Spogli & Co. acquired a majority stake in Cafe Rio Mexican Grill. Since then, it has grown to nearly 150 restaurants across 11 states.
“Mike brings exactly the kind of leadership Cafe Rio needs for this next chapter,” Freeman Spogli Partner Christian Johnson said in a statement. “He has built a reputation as one of the most effective leaders in fast casual and has an uncanny ability to align teams around a clear vision and translate that vision into operational excellence and meaningful results. We’re excited to welcome Mike as Cafe Rio’s new chief executive officer and are confident and excited on the opportunities ahead with him at the helm.”
Cafe Rio finished 2025 with $343.7 million in sales, according to new data from Technomic.
Contact Alicia Kelso at [email protected]
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About the Author
Alicia Kelso
Executive Editor, Nation's Restaurant News
Alicia Kelso is the executive editor of Nation's Restaurant News. She began covering the restaurant industry in 2010 for QSRweb.com, FastCasual.com, and PizzaMarketplace.com. When her son was born, she left the industry to pursue a role in higher education, but swiftly returned after realizing how much she missed the space. In filling that void, Alicia added a contributor role at Restaurant Dive and a senior contributor role at Forbes.
Her work has appeared in publications around the world, including Forbes Asia, NPR, Bloomberg, The Seattle Times, Crain's Chicago, Good Morning America, and Franchise Asia Magazine.
Alicia holds a degree in journalism from Bowling Green State University, where she competed on the women's swim team. In addition to cheering for the BGSU Falcons, Alicia is a rabid Michigan fan and will talk about college football with anyone willing to engage. She lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with her wife and son.
Follow her on TikTok @aliciakelso
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