Blake's Lotaburger
Blake's Lotaburger is a privately held regional fast-food chain founded in 1952 and headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, operating 70+ company-owned restaurants across New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona and serving consumers with its signature Hatch Green Chile Cheeseburger and broader QSR menu.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1952
- HeadquartersAlbuquerque, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Blake's Lotaburger does
Blake's Lotaburger is a privately held fast-food restaurant chain headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, founded in 1952 by WWII Navy Veteran Blake Chanslor. The company operates 70+ company-owned locations across three Southwestern U.S. states — New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona — under the Blake's Lotaburger, LLC entity. Its menu centers on the Original Green Chile Cheeseburger made with flame-roasted Hatch Green Chile, alongside other burgers (LOTA Burger, ITSA Burger), chicken sandwiches and tenders, breakfast burritos, chili, fries, shakes, and beverages. In early-to-mid 2026 the chain expanded the menu with Energy Refreshers (Rockstar Energy-based), seasonal milkshakes, all-day ITSA Burritos, and the LOTA Burger New Mexico Style.
The business runs a traditional quick-service restaurant model — dine-in, drive-through, and digital ordering — with consumer-facing technology including native iOS and Android mobile applications, web-based ordering through the OLO platform, and the LOTA Rewards loyalty program powered by Paytronix (5 points per $1 spent). Revenue is generated primarily through in-restaurant and drive-through transactions, supplemented by online and mobile ordering and a small merchandise e-commerce operation (WooCommerce + Printful print-on-demand). The company also operates the LOTA Heart community-giving program, which supports regional nonprofits, food banks, cancer research, and senior services across New Mexico.
Blake's has no disclosed external equity, parent company, or institutional investment; the company appears to remain under independent/family ownership consistent with its founding narrative. It has no public funding history, no M&A activity, and no disclosed financials. Customer concentration is effectively zero at the enterprise-account level — all revenue is consumer-based — and the company's distribution is concentrated in the Southwest regional market.
Blake's Lotaburger firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Blake's Lotaburger
- Legal name
- Blake's Lotaburger, LLC
- Website
- https://lotaburger.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1952
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Blake's Lotaburger is a privately held regional fast-food chain founded in 1952 and headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, operating 70+ company-owned restaurants across New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona and serving consumers with its signature Hatch Green Chile Cheeseburger and broader QSR menu.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Blake's Lotaburger industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Quick-Service Restaurant
- NAICS
- Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Burger QSR (THAFAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Mexican/Latin QSR (Tacos, Burritos, Bowls) (THAFAAAE)
Keywords
Where Blake's Lotaburger is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Albuquerque
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Blake's Lotaburger business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Restaurant Food Sales: Core revenue from in-store and drive-through sales of burgers, chicken, breakfast items, chili, fries, shakes, and beverages across 70+ restaurant locations.
- Online and Mobile Ordering: Revenue from digital ordering through mobile apps and OLO platform, enabling online purchases of food items for pickup.
- Merchandise Sales: E-commerce sales of branded merchandise including hoodies, t-shirts, and stickers through their online shop. Products are printed on-demand.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | In-restaurant and drive-through dining |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Blake's Lotaburger product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Blake's Lotaburger operates a quick-service restaurant chain serving New Mexico-style burgers, chicken, breakfast burritos, chili, fries, shakes, and beverages across 70+ company-owned dine-in and drive-through locations in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. It also runs the LOTA Rewards loyalty program, branded merchandise e-commerce, and iOS/Android mobile apps with OLO-powered online ordering. The chain is best known as the originator of the Green Chile Cheeseburger using flame-roasted Hatch Green Chile.
Product overview
Blake's Lotaburger is a fast-food restaurant chain founded in 1952, specializing in the Original Green Chile Cheeseburger. The company operates a single unified restaurant concept with a menu centered on burgers (LOTA Burger, LOTA Burger New Mexico Style, ITSA Burger), chicken items (sandwiches, tenders), breakfast burritos, chili, fries, and beverages. The product portfolio includes the core restaurant menu, LOTA Rewards loyalty program, and merchandise store. Recently expanded offerings include Energy Refreshers (Rockstar Energy-based), ITSA Burritos, and Seasonal Milkshakes. The company operates 70+ locations across New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona, with a mobile app enabling online ordering through OLO and loyalty program access through Paytronix.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- LOTA Rewards: Loyalty rewards program where customers earn 5 points per $1 spent and can redeem for free food items.
- LOTA Heart
Quantifiable outcome
- USA Today Readers' Choice Best Green Chile Cheeseburger in New Mexico
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Blake's Lotaburger
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Blake's Lotaburger technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
Feature2 records
Blake's Lotaburger partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- UNM Comprehensive Cancer CentercoreSince 2016, Blake's has been a proud sponsor of the Lobo Cancer Challenge, an annual signature event supporting the University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center. The 2025 Challenge gathered nearly 2,000 participants to support one of only 53 NCI-designated cancer centers nationwide.
- Just ServecorePartnership with Just Serve for food donation collection and volunteer coordination. Team members participate in sorting food donations and non-perishable items at Albuquerque Isotopes Stadium, distributed to Lobo Food Pantry and other Just Serve Central New Mexico organizations.
- Roadrunner Food BankcoreLong-standing collaboration with New Mexico United at Roadrunner Food Bank where teams work side-by-side to sort and pack food for neighbors in need, supporting food security across New Mexico.
- KOAT 7minorProud sponsor of KOAT 7's KOATS for Kids annual initiative, with Blake's locations serving as drop-off sites for coat donations helping children across New Mexico stay warm during winter months.
- New Mexico United / Somos Unidos FoundationminorSponsor of the Somos Unidos Foundation Foot Golf Tournament, a community fundraiser supporting Soccer Belongs to Everyone programming. Blake's HR team participated and won the tournament.
- HopeWorks NMminorIn September 2024, partnered with HopeWorks NM to donate lunch and provide volunteers for a community picnic serving 75 people experiencing homelessness, providing LOTA Frito Pies.
- Silver HorizonsminorTeam Blake's supports Silver Horizons by participating in the annual Strikes for Seniors bowling fundraiser, supporting programs that provide groceries, household bill assistance, and minor home repairs for older adults.
- New Mexico Ramp ProjectminorBlake's Facilities and Maintenance teams partner with the New Mexico Ramp Project to build and refresh wheelchair ramps for older adults and individuals with mobility challenges.
- OLO, Inc.coreOnline ordering platform provider powering blakeslotaburger.olo.com for web-based food ordering, integrated with the restaurant's operations.
- The Grief CenterminorFor three years, Blake's LOTA Heart has supported The Grief Center's Healing Hearts luncheon fundraiser, which raised $60,000, and donates burritos twice a year for facilitator training sessions.
- Albuquerque IsotopesminorPartnership for food donation collection at Albuquerque Isotopes Stadium, with donations sorted and distributed to Lobo Food Pantry, HopeWorks, and Just Serve Central New Mexico organizations.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Blake's Lotaburger competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Steak 'n Shake: Long-standing American burger chain with a Midwest heritage story and limited-service model. Comparable to Blake's on legacy brand (founded 1934), regional identity, and value-burger positioning.
- In-N-Out Burger: Privately held regional burger chain with cult status, limited geography (Western US), and a tight menu anchored by signature burgers. Highly comparable to Blake's on brand-equity-driven model and regional concentration.
- Five Guys: Premium burger-focused QSR with ~1,500+ US locations. Comparable to Blake's on a tightly focused burger-led menu, fresh-prep positioning, and rising Southwest unit count.
- Culver's: Midwest-headquartered regional burger/frozen-custard chain with strong local-brand affinity and ~900+ locations, mostly company-owned/franchised. Comparable to Blake's in family-roots heritage and regional cult-brand positioning.
- Whataburger: Regional burger QSR chain headquartered in the Southwest/Texas with a cult following and ~700+ company-operated locations. Closest analog to Blake's by brand-equity-per-unit, regional loyalty, and limited-service burger focus.
- Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers: Regional burger and frozen custard QSR with ~550 locations across the Midwest/South/Southwest. Comparable to Blake's on heritage brand story, regional cult following, and limited-service burger-led menu.
Regional players
- Twisters: New Mexico-based burrito chain with regional cult following and Hatch Green Chile menu positioning. Directly comparable to Blake's on Southwestern heritage, Hatch chile sourcing, and burrito-led limited-service offering.
- Taco Cabana: Texas-headquartered regional Mexican QSR serving burritos, tacos, and breakfast items. Comparable to Blake's on Southwestern geographic overlap, all-day breakfast burrito daypart, and limited-service regional model.
Broad incumbents
- Del Taco: National Mexican-American QSR with ~600 locations, including New Mexico and Texas. Comparable to Blake's on Mexican/New Mexican-adjacent menu items (burritos, chile sauces) in the same regional footprint.
- Carl's Jr. National Western-themed burger QSR with strong Southwest presence and green chile LTOs in New Mexico. Comparable to Blake's as a competitive overlap in the Southwest burger QSR category.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Blake's Lotaburger social profiles
Digital presenceBlake's Lotaburger compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Blake's Lotaburger financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Blake's Lotaburger leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Blake's Lotaburger funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Blake's Lotaburger M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Blake's Lotaburger
What does Blake's Lotaburger do?
Blake's Lotaburger operates a quick-service restaurant chain serving New Mexico-style burgers, chicken, breakfast burritos, chili, fries, shakes, and beverages across 70+ company-owned dine-in and drive-through locations in New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona. It also runs the LOTA Rewards loyalty program, branded merchandise e-commerce, and iOS/Android mobile apps with OLO-powered online ordering. The chain is best known as the originator of the Green Chile Cheeseburger using flame-roasted Hatch Green Chile.
Is Blake's Lotaburger a public or private company?
Blake's Lotaburger is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Blake's Lotaburger founded?
Blake's Lotaburger was founded in 1952. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Blake's Lotaburger based?
Blake's Lotaburger is headquartered in Albuquerque, United States, in the North America region.
How does Blake's Lotaburger make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Restaurant Food Sales are the primary driver. The others are online and Mobile Ordering and merchandise Sales.
Who are Blake's Lotaburger's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Steak 'n Shake, In-N-Out Burger, Five Guys, Culver's, Whataburger and Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers. Regional players are Twisters and Taco Cabana. Broad incumbents are Del Taco and Carl's Jr..
Does Blake's Lotaburger have an API?
No public API is recorded for Blake's Lotaburger.
What industry is Blake's Lotaburger in?
Blake's Lotaburger's product category is Quick-Service Restaurant. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAAAA, Burger QSR, with a secondary code of THAFAAAE, Mexican/Latin QSR (Tacos, Burritos, Bowls). Its NAICS code is 722513.