&pizza Acquires Tijuana Flats, Forms Holding Company

Fast-casual concept &pizza has acquired 95-unit Tijuana Flats and formed a holding company, called Latitude Food Group, to drive growth of both brands via multiunit franchising. &pizza CEO Mike Burns will lead the group.

“We’re excited to harness the unique strengths of both brands and apply proven strategies and efficiencies to build a strong foundation for future growth,” Burns says in the release.

&pizza, based in Washington, D.C., entered franchising earlier this year and recently announced expansion outside of the mid-Atlantic with four franchise agreements bringing the concept to Orlando, Atlanta, Charleston and Raleigh.

Tijuana Flats, founded in 1995 and based in Maitland, Fla., has corporate and franchised locations in Florida, Alabama, North Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee. In 2024, Flatheads acquired the brand with the goal of renovating many of the restaurants and refreshing the customer experience.