(Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Take the wrap

Chipotle “Mexican Grill” is coming to Mexico for the first time in 2026

The chain is expanding into its fare’s homeland — something that rival Taco Bell has already failed to do twice.

4/22/25 12:07PM

Anyone in Mexico that’s stumped as to where they could possibly go to get a taco or a burrito finally has an answer: Chipotle Mexican Grill is opening its first-ever outpost in the country, the company announced on Monday.

Step asada

The California-based chain said it will partner with Alsea — a Mexico City-based restaurant operator that has successfully brought brands like Starbucks, Chili’s, and the Cheesecake Factory to Latin America — to open a new location in Mexico in early 2026. In the press release, Chipotle confidently cited “familiarity with [their] ingredients” as a reason why the brand’s “classically-cooked” food will “resonate with guests in Mexico.”

However, American takes on its southern neighbor’s cuisine don’t always hit in the Mexican market. Even Yum! Brands’ Taco Bell, the biggest Mexican restaurant chain in the US with over 8,000 locations, has twice tried — and twice failed — to open in the country.

Chipotle and Taco Bell sales chart — Sherwood News

Despite its failure in the home of its namesake fare, Taco Bell has still seen sales soar over the last decade, peaking at $17 billion last year. And while Chipotle isn’t quite at that level going into its southern expansion, it’s growing more quickly than its closest rival, with restaurant revenues up 15% year over year.

Fillings the gap

Though it’s opened more than 90 international units since 2008, including 58 locations in Canada and 20 in the UK, Chipotle has never expanded to the native land of many of its dishes. Now, though, could be the perfect time.

As prices of produce imported from Mexico to the US are expected to rise on President Trump’s 25% tariffs, Chipotle has been on a mission to find avocados from alternate sources to make its (famously not free) guacamole, along with many other imported ingredients. Opening restaurants in its primary supplying country not only keeps menu prices low in stores in that region, but could also help to hedge against higher costs domestically by staying close to the source, per Quartz.

Even with Chipotle’s prices surging in recent years, it seems that people keep coming back for the chain’s fresh, customizable creations — regardless of the fact that its burrito bowls and salads aren’t exactly what you’d get in Mexico. But, with Taco Bell serving as an example of a rapidly growing, rapidly modernizing chain that just couldn’t crack the Mexican market, time will tell whether Chipotle’s calidad will outshine its autenticidad among local consumers.

Tom Jones6/24/26

Prime Day is here again and Amazon’s subscription service has never been more popular

Well, it’s that time of year again: many have made their wish lists, people are scraping together the money they’ve saved to pick out a perfect gift, some are presumably leaving out refreshments for the weary delivery drivers and, more and more, drones.

It’s Amazon Prime Day — meaning that it’s the second day of the four-day promotional event that Amazon still calls Prime Day — of course, and it’s even come early this year, with the company bringing the period into late June from July, when it’s been traditionally held for the last five years.

The Prime Age

Alongside the eyes and endless clicks that the arbitrary stream of listicles on “The Best Prime Day Deals” that almost every media outlet pours into, Amazon will also be cheering the fact that there’s now more Prime users than ever before to devour the retailer and its sellers’ sometimes-contested “discounts.” Indeed, according to the latest annual estimates from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP), there were just over 200 million American shoppers using Amazon’s massive subscription service at the end of 2025.

Max Knoblauch6/15/26

Electronic Arts launches a platform to put more ads in its games

Video game publishing giant EA launched a new platform on Monday designed to make the process of selling immersive ad space in its popular games easier.

The company says the platform, called EA Advertising, allows brands to “integrate directly into gameplay through dynamic, real-time placements, from stadium signage to custom in-game content.”

More so than other studios, EA has incorporated advertising into its most popular titles. As Kotaku points out, the company’s ad efforts stretch as far back as 2006. Several of its sports franchises already feature partnerships with brands like Visa, Lowe’s, Red Bull, and PepsiCo.

In-game advertising hasn’t exactly been embraced by fans, but industry experts expect it to ramp up as companies seek more revenue to offset higher games budgets and surging memory costs. EA rival Take-Two has taken a different approach, with CEO Strauss Zelnick recently saying the company was “not at risk of doing brand partnerships” in the forthcoming “Grand Theft Auto VI,” and that ads in full-price games seems “unfair.”

The $55 billion deal to take EA private, led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, is set to close at the end of this month. Being the largest leveraged buyout in history, EA will likely look for more ways to boost revenue to cover interest payments.

Electronic Arts Makes Push for Ad Dollars Tied to Sports

Millie Giles6/11/26

JM Smucker says it sold $1 billion worth of Uncrustables in FY2026

After years of booming sandwich sales, JM Smucker has finally earned a billion-dollar crust.

On Tuesday, the company reported results for fiscal year 2026, highlighting better-than-expected profits driven by higher prices for coffee and sweet baked goods. However, at another point on the earnings call, CEO Mark Smucker pointed to one particularly jammy figure: in line with previous forecasts, the company sold $1 billion worth of its (almost always) crustless sandwiches, Uncrustables, in the last year alone.

Max Knoblauch6/8/26

Paramount reportedly offers concessions to resolve multistate antitrust investigation

Paramount has reportedly offered up some concessions in an effort to prevent an antitrust lawsuit by California and about 10 other states, according to Bloomberg reporting on Monday.

Reuters first reported on the potential suit from a group of unnamed states last week, which could throw a wrench in Paramount’s plans to buy rival Warner Bros. Discovery in a Hollywood megamerger.

The list of concessions is unknown, though Bloomberg previously reported that Paramount is open to divesting some of its kids TV assets to appease EU regulators.

Late last month, reports said US regulators appeared likely to approve the $110 billion merger, following a meeting between Paramount CEO David Ellison and DOJ antitrust staffers.

Paramount Offers Concessions to Head Off State Antitrust Lawsuit

The list of concessions is unknown, though Bloomberg previously reported that Paramount is open to divesting some of its kids TV assets to appease EU regulators.

Late last month, reports said US regulators appeared likely to approve the $110 billion merger, following a meeting between Paramount CEO David Ellison and DOJ antitrust staffers.

$98B ⛽

Max Knoblauch6/8/26

The IATA released its latest financial outlook for the airline industry over the weekend, forecasting a $98 billion jump in the sector’s collective fuel bill. The world’s largest trade group representing airlines expects the oil spike to halve profits by 49% from last year to $23 billion.

The group also expects profit margins to halve year over year, falling from 2025’s 4.2% to 2%. Still, revenue is expected to climb to $1.17 trillion from $1.07 trillion.

A surge in the cost of jet fuel has rocked US and global airlines this year, leading Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, and others to raise fares and ancillary charges like bag fees. Low-cost carriers, which operate on smaller margins, have been squeezed the hardest, resulting in Spirit’s shutdown.

“It’s a tough year for all airlines, especially those whose balance sheets had not yet recovered from COVID. And, of course, for those operating in the Gulf,” said IATA Director General Willie Walsh, who added that demand is holding up and about half of passengers expect to spend more on travel this year. “That bodes well for a strong northern summer peak season. The big unknown is how long travelers and shippers can tolerate the higher costs of connectivity.”