Operations

Hot Head Burritos Founder Ray Wiley Dies

Photo: Hot Head

May 27, 2026

Summarize withChatGPTGrokPerplexityClaude

Ray Wiley, the founder and CEO of fast casual chain Hot Head Burritos, has died at the age of 60.

Wiley, a veteran restaurant operator who spent more than three decades as a Subway franchisee, established Hot Head Burritos in Dayton in 2007. Under his leadership, the concept expanded from a single storefront into a multi-state franchise network that now spans more than 85 locations across eight states, according to a company press release.

Following Wiley's death, the company announced a transition in its executive leadership team to ensure business continuity:

• Kelly Gray, co-owner and longtime corporate vice president, has assumed the role of president effective immediately.
• Peter Wiley will step into the role of vice president.

In addition to building the Hot Head Burritos brand, which gained traction through its customizable menus and signature "Mild to Wild" sauce lineup, Wiley also co-founded Rapid Fired Pizza in 2015. He helped scale that concept to 35 locations before selling it to an investment group in 2021.

Company leadership emphasized that day-to-day operations, corporate support and franchise development pipelines will continue without disruption.

"Ray built Hot Head Burritos from the ground up with an incredible amount of passion, grit and vision," Gray said in the release. "More importantly, he built a culture centered around people. He cared deeply about our franchisees, employees and guests, and he created opportunities for so many people across this system."

Gray added that the corporate team's immediate focus remains on supporting Wiley's family, corporate employees and the franchise community while maintaining the brand's growth trajectory.