Mexican food is as American as apple pie. And like a bag of tortilla chips, U.S. consumers just can’t seem to stop eating it, racking up billions of dollars of sales every year.

In fact, there are roughly 60,000 Mexican restaurants in the U.S., representing approximately 9% of all the restaurants in the country. The big national fast-food spots include Taco Bell, Chipotle, Taco John’s, and Del Taco. And there are regional sit-down restaurants, like Chevy’s, Azteca, and Dos Caminos. And then there are the thousands of small, local, mom-and-pop Mexican places scattered all across the country.

The point is, you don’t need to go far to find a place serving up tacos, nachos, and burritos.

Don’t “Mex” with the business model

There’s a simple reason why there are so many Mexican restaurants in the U.S.—while people really like Mexican food,  tens of millions of people either immigrated from Mexico, or are the descendants of Mexican people, and they’ve brought their cuisine with them. Of the estimated 55 million Hispanic people in the U.S., about two thirds, or 36 million people, are Mexican American.

Of equal importance, Mexican food is delicious, nutritious, and relatively inexpensive, especially when you compare dining in a Mexican restaurant with dining at steakhouses or seafood restaurants

At Taco Bell, for example, you can get a taco, a burrito, or even a quesadilla for less than $1. Which may be what helped the chain win enough hearts and minds to be crowned America’s “favorite Mexican restaurant”—though there are many who would dispute the brand’s classification.

Prices and selection vary wildly, of course, from restaurant to restaurant, but that’s yet another element of the Mexican restaurant business which makes it attractive to restaurateurs. Consumers will spend their pocket change on a burrito, or hundreds of dollars—Mexican food can be served as a fine dining dish, or as fast-food.

All told, Mexican restaurants drove $45 billion in sales in 2017 in the U.S., according to industry data. That’s a lot of beans and salsa.

Guac is extra

For American consumers, there’s no shortage of choice when it comes to Mexican food. And while you can always opt for the sub-$1 menu items, much of the industry’s growth in recent years has been in the “fast-casual” segment.

“Fast-casual” restaurants fit somewhere between fast-food and sit-down joints, and typically offer higher-quality food than a fast-food place, but lack full table service. They’re generally a nice place to eat, and consumers are happier to pay more for wood veneers and relaxed atmosphere.

When it comes to fast-casual Mexican restaurants, the list includes chains like Chipotle, Moe’s, and Qdoba—restaurants that have found a sweet spot where customers are willing to spend more for an upgraded product and a setting where they can eat it.

Chipotle is the poster child for this type of restaurant. It started out as a single restaurant in Denver in 1993. McDonald’s purchased a 90% stake in the chain in 1998 when Chipotle had 16 stores, but later divested—or got rid of the shares it owned in the company—in 2006. Now, 25 years later, the company has roughly 2,500 U.S. restaurants and generated $1.27 billion in revenue during the second-quarter of 2018.

But Chipotle’s growth didn’t come easy. The company has had its issues with foodborne illnesses, resulting in crashing stock prices. At one point, the chain had to give away free food to try and win customers over.

While Chipotle has had an up-and-down ride, Americans’ love Mexican food has persevered. In fact, between 2016 and 2017, nearly 700 new Mexican restaurants opened across the country, according to industry data.

And spending on Mexican food continues to increase. The percentage of people spending between $15 and $20 per meal on Mexican food increased to 38% from 26% between 2016 and 2018.

In “queso” you’re interested

You can invest in companies involved in Mexican cuisine—from fast-food to fast-casual—like Chipotle on Stash.

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It offers nearly 4,000 drink options through its 500 different brands, 21 of which generate more than $1 billion in annual retail sales. The company posted 2016 revenues of more than $40 billion.

Coca-Cola owns and markets four of the world’s top five sparkling non-alcoholic beverages: Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Fanta and Sprite. It makes and distributes its beverages through company-owned or controlled bottling plants and distributors but also contracts independent bottling partners, wholesalers, and retailers. This structure makes up the world’s largest beverage distribution system.

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway own a 9% stake in Coca-Cola.

The following list presents notable Coca-Cola subsidiaries, brands and products:

Coca-Cola (Coke)

Coca-Cola (Coke) is one of the most popular soft drinks in history and one of the most recognizable brands around the world. According to the company, more than 90 percent of people recognize the red and white logo. The iconic soda was invented by an Atlanta pharmacist in 1886.

Diet Coke

Diet Coke hit shelves in 1982 as is a sugar and calorie-free version of the company’s namesake brand. It’s available in more than 150 markets globally. Fun fact: In some countries, Diet Coke is known as Coca-Cola Light.

Coca-Cola Zero

Coca-Cola Zero Sugar is another sugar-free alternative to the iconic drink. It launched in 2005 and became the company’s most successful new product launch since Diet Coke debuted nearly two decades earlier.

Who knew? The company branded it as a low-calorie option “for younger males” who wanted “real Coca-Cola taste with zero calories and a brand they could call their own.”

Sprite

Sprint is the world’s leading lemon-lime-flavored soft drink and is endorsed by NBA star LeBron James. James signed with the company in 2003 but the details of his deal were undisclosed.

Fun fact: In the early 1940s, Coca-Cola introduced a an elf-like cartoon mascot its magazine advertising. The “Sprite Boy” was no longer in use by the time the company introduced Sprite in 1961.

Fanta

Fanta, a fruit-flavored soda, was introduced in 1940, making it the company’s second-oldest brand – it’s consumed more than 130 million times a day around the world. It comes in a dozens of flavors, some only available in certain parts of the world, including orange lemon, peach, mango, passion fruit, and cherry. It’s most popular flavor is orange.

Fun fact: In Australia, you can find a Fanta flavor called Sour Tingle.

Some of Coca-Cola’s water brands include:

Dasani

Dansani is a bottled water that purified water enhanced with minerals, is one of Coca-Cola’s 21 billion-dollar brands.

Ciel

Ciel is a purified bottled water brand, has been around for more than 20 years. In French, Ciel means “sky.”

Smartwater

Smartwater was purchased as part of Coca-Cola’s 2007 acquisition of Glacéau for more than $4 billion. It is the best-selling premium water brand in the U.S. The actress Jennifer Aniston has endorsed the product, appearing in many of its ad campaigns.

Some of the juice brands owned by Coca-Cola include:

Minute Maid

Minute Maid juice has been around for more than 60 years. Its acquisition marked Coca-Cola’s first venture outside of soft drinks. Though it’s mostly recognized for its orange juice, Minute Maid comes in more than 100 different varieties, including apple juice and fizzy lemonade.

Simply Orange

Simply Orange is Coca-Cola’s premium brand of orange juices and is available in six varieties, including lemonade and grapefruit.

Del Valle

Del Valle is another line of juice drinks, is one of Coca-Cola’s billion-dollar brands. If you haven’t seen it, it’s because it’s available mainly in Latin American markets such as Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, and Brazil.

Some of the energy and non-soda brands Coca-Cola owns include:

Powerade

Powerade is an electrolyte-enhanced sports drink with annual revenues of $1 billion. It was introduced in the late 1980s as a competitor to Gatorade. According to Bloomberg, Powerade and Gatorade account for more than 90 percent of the U.S. sports-drink market.

Vitaminwater

Vitaminwater is a nutrient-enhanced water beverage available in a variety of flavors. In addition to Smartwater, Coca-Cola also acquired this brand in 2007 as part of its $4.1 billion takeover of Glacéau. The actor Aaron Paul, best known from the television drama “Breaking Bad,” recently partnered with the brand in a new ad campaign.

Odwalla

Odwalla is a protein drink and juices company. In 2001, Coca-Cola paid more than $180 million for its acquisition. The company also offers chewy fruit and nut bars.

Some of the tea drinks brands Coca-Cola owns include:

Fuze Beverage

Coca-Cola bought Fuze Beverage in 2007 in an undisclosed deal in an attempt to expand its tea and juice selections. Two years ago, it became one of Coca-Cola’s billion-dollar brands.

Honest Tea

In 2008, Coca-Cola bought a 40 percent stake in organic beverage maker Honest Tea for $43 million and bought out the rest of the company in 2011. Its founders say they came up with the idea because they found most bottled sodas and iced teas too sweet. Today, Honest Tea can be found in more than 100,000 stores.

Explore the world of soft drinks and companies that pay dividends with funds and single stocks available on Stash.

You can start investing with just $5.

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