Hot Head Burritos

Hot Head Burritos is a fast-casual restaurant brand based in Kettering, Ohio, in the Dayton metropolitan area. The chain specializes in Mexican-style burritos and other Mexican-style foods and operates through a franchise model. Its business has been concentrated in the American Midwest and neighboring states, particularly Ohio, while also reaching selected markets farther east and south. The brand received early outside recognition as a potential growth chain when AOL.com included it among America's next big chains in 2009. In 2011, FastCasual ranked Hot Head Burritos 41st on its list of the year's Top 100 Movers and Shakers. These recognitions reflected the company's expansion ambitions during a period when it was developing beyond its Dayton-area base. Expansion activity in 2011 included plans to enter the Columbus, Ohio, market, with the company discussing a potential network of as many as 50 restaurants in the area. The first Columbus-area restaurant opened in Hilliard on September 21, 2011. Later that year, the chain signed an agreement covering more than 30 additional Ohio locations. The company also announced plans to extend its presence into Kentucky and Cincinnati while continuing to add restaurants in the Dayton region. Hot Head Burritos remains a U.S.-focused restaurant franchise. As of January 2026, 87 locations were reported to be operating across the country: 62 in Ohio, 9 in Indiana, 5 in Florida, 5 in Kentucky, 2 in Pennsylvania, and one each in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Tennessee, and Texas. The available reference material does not identify a founding year, founder, parent company, publicly traded owner, or current executive leadership. It also does not provide a verified official website URL or detailed financial information.

Hot Head Burritos is a Dayton-area restaurant chain focused on Mexican-style burritos and related foods. The brand is headquartered in Kettering, Ohio, and operates as a franchise. The available historical record does not state the company's founding year or identify its founder, so its earliest origins cannot be described with confidence beyond its establishment as a restaurant business in the Dayton region. The chain gained visibility during the late 2000s and early 2010s as it pursued expansion beyond its initial regional base. In 2009, AOL.com identified Hot Head Burritos as one of America's next big chains. This recognition placed the company within the broader discussion of emerging restaurant concepts with expansion potential. The most clearly documented growth period occurred in 2011. Hot Head Burritos announced plans to continue adding restaurants around Dayton and discussed expansion into Kentucky and Cincinnati. It also announced an intended move into the Columbus, Ohio, market, where the company was planning for as many as 50 restaurants. On September 21, 2011, the brand opened its first Columbus-area location in Hilliard. In November of the same year, it signed an agreement for more than 30 additional Ohio locations. FastCasual ranked the chain 41st in its 2011 Top 100 Movers and Shakers list, providing a second contemporaneous indication of its perceived momentum. The company continued to operate as a franchise rather than as a publicly listed restaurant corporation. Its footprint remained particularly strong in Ohio, while extending into other U.S. states. By January 2026, the reported system consisted of 87 operating locations: 62 in Ohio, 9 in Indiana, 5 in Florida, 5 in Kentucky, 2 in Pennsylvania, and one each in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Tennessee, and Texas. This distribution shows that Ohio remained the brand's core market even after its expansion into additional states. The available reference material does not establish detailed information about the chain's corporate ownership, executive team, finances, menu architecture, franchise economics, or official web presence. It also reports the death of Ray Wiley on May 27, 2026, at age 60, but does not explain his role or connection to the brand. Those gaps should be resolved through additional authoritative company or regulatory sources before being added to the encyclopedia.

• 2026

  Reported U.S. footprint reaches 87 locations

  [1]Hot Head Burritosen.wikipedia.org

  As of January 2026, the chain was reported to have 87 operating locations across nine U.S. states.

• 2011

  Ranked by FastCasual

  [1]Hot Head Burritosen.wikipedia.org

  FastCasual ranked Hot Head Burritos 41st in its 2011 Top 100 Movers and Shakers list.

• 2011

  First Columbus-area location opens

  [1]Hot Head Burritosen.wikipedia.org

  The chain opened its first Columbus-area restaurant in Hilliard, Ohio, on September 21.

• 2011

  Ohio expansion agreement

  [1]Hot Head Burritosen.wikipedia.org

  Hot Head Burritos signed a deal for more than 30 additional Ohio locations in November.

• 2009

  Recognized as a potential growth chain

  [1]Hot Head Burritosen.wikipedia.org

  AOL.com included Hot Head Burritos among America's next big chains.

A regional U.S. fast-casual franchise centered on customizable Mexican-style burritos and related foods, with a growth strategy based on multi-unit restaurant expansion.

• Mexican-style restaurant food

  Burritos

  Burritos are the brand's defining offering and the basis of its name and restaurant concept. The available reference describes Hot Head Burritos as specializing in Mexican-style burritos, but does not provide a verified list of fillings, sizes, recipes, ingredients, nutritional information, or preparation formats.

• Mexican-style restaurant food

  Other Mexican-style foods

  In addition to burritos, Hot Head Burritos serves other Mexican-style foods. The available reference material does not identify the individual dishes or provide enough detail to describe specific menu lines without risking invention.

• 2011

  Expansion into the Columbus marketStrategy

  Background

  Hot Head Burritos sought to extend its Ohio presence beyond the Dayton region and announced plans for a substantial Columbus-area network.

  Action taken

  The company planned for as many as 50 restaurants in the Columbus area and opened its first location there in Hilliard on September 21, 2011.

  Aftermath

  The Columbus opening was followed by a November 2011 agreement for more than 30 additional Ohio locations. The available source does not confirm how many of the planned locations ultimately opened.

  Source

• 2011

  Multi-state franchise expansionStrategy

  Background

  The chain announced intentions to keep adding Dayton-area restaurants and to expand into Kentucky and Cincinnati.

  Action taken

  Hot Head Burritos pursued additional franchise locations while broadening its geographic plans beyond its original Dayton-area market.

  Aftermath

  By January 2026, the brand was reported to have 87 operating U.S. locations, with Ohio still accounting for most of the system.

  Source

1. 1Hot Head Burritosen.wikipedia.org