PepsiCo has opened “Pilla Tortilla” in Madrid, the first restaurant promoted by Lay’s and focused on potato omelette made with its French fries. The concept represents the company’s first direct foray into restaurants and is part of its strategy to expand its presence in the out-of-home channel and generate new consumption occasions around one of its most recognized brands.

The initiative connects with the positioning that Lay’s has been building in recent years around the potato omelette. In 2023, the brand already claimed its chips as a culinary ingredient with the “Unexpectedly Good” campaign, created by TBWA, which proposed making tortillas with Lay’s as a practical and tasty alternative. In 2025, the company reinforced that territory with the action “As simple as adding eggs”, based on a study by Salvetti Llombart that indicated that 13 million Spaniards admit to being afraid of preparing potato omelette. As part of that campaign, Lay’s launched a limited edition of free-range eggs with consumers’ “fears” printed on the shell to encourage them to cook the dish.

“Pilla Tortilla” now takes that discourse to the physical realm. The restaurant proposes to reinterpret the Spanish tortilla by incorporating Lay’s as the base of the dish and offering a customizable gastronomic experience. The tortilla can be consumed in skewer, sandwich or whole format, with onion or without onion, and allows different toppings. Among the combinations, the Mallorquina with sobrasada, brie cheese and honey stand out; the sailor with anchovies; the brava with torreznos, aioli and brava sauce; the serrana with Alvalle salmorejo and ham; or the ranchera with pulled pork.

Fernando Moraga, General Director of PepsiCo Iberia, points out: “Pilla Tortilla is the first PepsiCo and Lay’s restaurant project in the world, and we are proud that it opens here in Spain. With this opening we take a natural step in our evolution towards a company more focused on food and we reinforce our growth strategy in the out-of-home channel.”

Culinary development with chef Miguel Carretero

The gastronomic concept has had the consultancy of chef Miguel Carretero, head of the Santerra restaurant, awarded with a Michelin star in 2024. The chef has collaborated with the brand’s team in the technical validation of the recipe and in the integration of Lay’s in the tortilla.

“Lay’s is part of the imagination of many generations and bringing its identity to a recipe as ours as the tortilla was an interesting challenge. We have worked so that its presence made sense within the group and added value to the dish, without losing its essence”explains Miguel Carretero.

The presence of Lay’s also extends to the rest of the menu, with proposals such as fish and chips with Lay’s vinaigrette, pickled mussels with potatoes dressed with lime mayonnaise or gildas with anchovy and anchovy accompanied by Lay’s. The offer is completed with accompaniments such as lettuce hearts, cherry tomatoes, padrón peppers or Alvalle gazpacho, as well as desserts that explore the sweet-salty contrast by combining French fries with ice cream.

PepsiCo has chosen Madrid as a pilot city to test the concept, taking advantage of its gastronomic dynamism and its ability to generate trends. “Pilla Tortilla” thus has two locations in the city center: a bar-restaurant in Fuencarral, designed for a complete and social consumption experience, and a second location in Corredera Baja de San Pablo, oriented towards a more agile and urban format focused on takeaway.

Erica Lascorz, Lay’s Senior Director of Innovation Marketing for Europe, explains: “We seek to go beyond the aperitif moment and transform something as everyday as eating a tortilla into a unique concept: ‘getting a tortilla’, a special moment with an authentic brand experience.”

With this move, Lay’s transfers to the physical world a communication strategy that it has been exploring for several years: positioning its potato chips beyond the snack category and also presenting them as a culinary ingredient, now converted into its own gastronomic experience.

More info: Pilla Tortilla