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# Athlete-Inspired Salad Bowls
Tocaya Modern Mexican Has Teamed Up with Ucla Athletes on a New Bowl

By Katherine Pendrill | Published 2023-03-19 | Lifestyle
Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tocaya-modern-mexican
References: [qsrmagazine](https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/tocaya-modern-mexican-creates-menu-item-ucla-athletes-jaime-jaquez-jr-and-gabriela-jaquez)

![Athlete-Inspired Salad Bowls](https://cdn.trendhunterstatic.com/thumbs/501/tocaya-modern-mexican.jpeg)

[Tocaya Modern Mexican](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cali-bowl), the fast-growing Mexican cuisine concept, has just announced that it's teaming up with a pair of [UCLA](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/maxpro-air) athletes to celebrate the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments this month.

In honor of March Madness, Tocaya Modern Mexican has joined forces with UCLA basketball stars and siblings, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Gabriela Jaquez. As Matt Smith, CMO of One Table Restaurant Brands, explains, "We wanted to make a splash with our first [NIL](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/collegiate-basketball-players) partnership, and once we found out that Gabriela and Jaime were huge Tocaya fans, we knew this partnership would be perfect."

Inspired by the siblings, the brand has crafted the new The Jaquez Bowl. This limited-time offering consists of a base of romaine lettuce and cilantro lime rice topped with a sauteed fajita mix, black beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, tomatillo salsa, and a garnish of Tajin-spiced tortilla strips.

Image Credit: Tocaya Modern Mexican

## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter)

- Score: 3.1/10
- Popularity: 28% | Activity: 50% | Freshness: 15%
- Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women
- Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X
- Top markets: North America

## Categories

[Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Food](https://www.trendhunter.com/food)

## Key Themes

### What's Driving This Trend

- **Athlete-inspired Menus:** Restaurants and food brands can create athlete-inspired menus to appeal to sports fans and capitalize on the excitement around major tournaments.
- **NIL Partnerships:** Businesses can leverage the new NCAA NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) rules to partner with college athletes and create mutually beneficial marketing opportunities.
- **Limited-time Offerings:** Creating exclusive, limited-time menu items or products can generate buzz and drive traffic to restaurants and brands.

### Who This Affects Most

- **Fast Casual Restaurants:** Fast casual restaurants can partner with athletes and create exclusive limited-time menu items to attract sports fans and compete with traditional sports bars.
- **Food and Beverage Brands:** Food and beverage brands can collaborate with athletes to develop limited edition products to generate buzz and increase sales during major sports events.
- **Sports and Entertainment Marketing:** Sports and entertainment marketing agencies can help businesses create strategic partnerships with athletes and leverage major tournaments to increase brand awareness and engagement.

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