Pilla Tortilla, the PepsiCo restaurant that reimagines the Spanish omelet... using Lay's chips as ingredients

The American snacking and soft drink giant is launching "full culinary dining experience" to "create new occasions" for consuming its products. PepsiCo is thus trying its hand at the restaurant business once again, but with the opening of its new brand, Pilla Tortilla, in Madrid, based on its Lay's brand.

© Pilla Torilla / PepsiCo

Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, KFC… These major Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) chains share a common thread with PepsiCo. In the last century, they all belonged to the multinational's asset portfolio, as the company sought to expand its presence in the away-from-home consumption channel. At the dawn of the 2000s, a strategic refocus on snacks and beverages led to the divestment of these restaurant activities, which would give birth to a group known as Yum Brands.

However, this March, the manufacturer – whose brands are enjoyed more than a billion times a day – has implemented its Food Ventures strategy by inaugurating its first two "tortillerias" in Madrid. Based on a concept developed with Michelin-starred chef Miguel Carretero, whose traditional patatas bravas were voted the best in Spain, the new brand Pilla Tortilla aims to reinvent the iconic Spanish omelet by using Lay’s chips as a signature ingredient.

Beyond Snacking

With this project, PepsiCo is transitioning from supplier to restaurant operator. This hospitality lab for "modern and distinctive food experiences" is not merely intended to capture market share in an under-exploited segment. The giant aims to (re)connect directly with consumers through a new tangible dimension, where its product becomes the foundation of a dish – a traditional one, at that.

By combining a location offering table service with a kitchen dedicated to takeaway and delivery, the company has opted for a high-density, trendsetting city to integrate the Lay’s brand identity in a different way, through a "flexible, urban, and social" format.

"With this opening in Madrid, we are expanding our scope of action while delivering on our diversification and growth strategy in the away-from-home consumption sector," stated Pol Codina, General Manager and Senior Vice President of PepsiCo Food Ventures, the new global business unit based in Barcelona.

"Building Connection and Brand Recognition"

Customers can enjoy the tortilla as a slice or pincho, in a sandwich, or as a full portion, with that "touch of originality" provided by the chips. Each option can be customized with various toppings.

"Lay’s is part of the collective imagination of many generations, and integrating its identity into such an emblematic recipe was an exciting challenge," asserts chef Miguel Carretero, who leads the restaurant Santerra (awarded a Michelin star in 2024). He explains that he worked to ensure the presence of the PepsiCo product was "meaningful and added value."

"We wanted to go beyond the simple snack moment and transform a gesture as familiar as eating a tortilla into a unique concept: 'grabbing a tortilla' – a special shared moment with an authentic brand experience," explains Erica Lascorz, Senior Director of Innovation Marketing for PepsiCo in Europe.

🟠 TAKEAWAYS The boundaries between retail and foodservice are blurring. When a manufacturer of such scale becomes its own distributor and retailer, it changes the rules of the game: the brand experience seeks to be total, with the restaurant becoming a living marketing medium. Product innovation possibilities are expanded, as the hospitality sector serves as a "sandbox" to test future flavors or textures that could, eventually, find their way into bags on mass-market shelves. Using foodservice as a means of interaction with consumers allows for spotting trends, adapting where relevant, and meeting evolving needs. Furthermore, the mono-product format (this specific focus on the tortilla) is proving to be particularly trendy in urban areas.