Colorado-based Tres Picosos is expanding its airport foodservice footprint through a new partnership with Evolvending, placing its Tres Locos Mexican food brand inside automated kiosks at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) and three additional U.S. airports. The move marks the company's entry into a fast-growing automated dining segment and adds an airside off-premise channel to a distribution footprint that already spans QSR, convenience, and grocery.
The Airport Rollout
The Tres Locos kiosk is live now at MSP Terminal 1, Concourse G — a Delta Air Lines-dominant concourse with high-traffic daypart volume across early-morning and late-night windows when traditional concession operators are typically closed. The automated unit offers the brand's highest-velocity SKUs: Bacon Breakfast, Chicken Fajita, Picadillo Beef, and Pork Carnitas burritos, plus street-style tacos, all served hot on demand. Tres Locos product is also available through Evolvending's EvolveCAFÉ installations at Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Charleston International Airport (CHS), and Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW), giving the brand immediate presence across four airports in geographically diverse markets.
Market Context
The timing reflects a meaningful channel shift in airport foodservice. Hot-food vending in the U.S. and Canada is projected to reach $9.6 billion by 2036, up from $5.5 billion in early 2026, according to Vending Times — a compound growth rate that has drawn both regional food brands and national chains to evaluate automated retail as a scalable, low-labor distribution layer. For operators managing labor costs and off-peak coverage, automated kiosk partnerships offer a structurally lower cost-to-serve than staffed concession units, particularly during overnight and early-morning dayparts when airport foot traffic is thin but traveler need is real.
Tres Picosos enters the channel as a WBENC-certified, woman-owned manufacturer with nationwide distribution through Dot Foods, Inc. and KINEXO — a supply chain infrastructure that positions the company to scale airport placements without rebuilding its logistics base. The brand's portfolio, which includes Naughty Chile Taqueria and Saluda alongside Tres Locos, gives Evolvending optionality as it builds out a diversified brand roster across its airport locations.
Operator Outlook
"The Evolvending concept fills an important need when convenience is essential, and enjoyment is valued," said Jane Hartgrove, founder and chief executive of Tres Picosos. "Now, customers can get delicious Mexican food exactly how and when they want it — hot and ready — even when the rest of the world is closed." Valentina Ellison, CEO of Evolvending, framed the Tres Locos addition as consistent with the platform's broader strategy of assembling a brand mix that reflects current traveler preferences across all dayparts.
Tres Picosos has indicated additional airport deployments are planned in coming months, suggesting the company views automated airport dining as a meaningful growth vector rather than a one-off placement. For the foodservice industry broadly, the deal underscores how branded CPG-adjacent food manufacturers are increasingly treating automated retail as a legitimate nontraditional channel — one with captive audiences, around-the-clock availability, and lower build-out costs than leased concession space. Operators and airport concession managers evaluating nontraditional foodservice formats and airport dining trends should watch this segment closely as technology-enabled hot-food delivery continues to mature.
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.
