Interview with Stephanie Perdue: How Chipotle fuels Evo and the FGC

Evo Las Vegas 2025 recently wrapped up with new champions crowned and unforgettable moments within the fighting game community (FGC). As the event's presenting partner, Chipotle brought the Burrito Bus, a community lounge, live Twitch streams, giveaways, and so much more to make the event memorable. Esports.gg interviewed Stephanie Perdue, the vice president of brand marketing at Chipotle, about the brand's Evo activations, its impact on the FGC, and where Chipotle's gaming journey is headed next.

In her interview with esports.gg, Perdue said that Chipotle was overwhelmed by the FGC's response at Evo Las Vegas 2025. What began with a simple lounge and an ad in the first year has grown into larger activations such as the Burrito Bus that shuttled attendees from the Las Vegas Convention Center to the nearest Chipotle. Over the weekend, fans also enjoyed free Chipotle through tournaments, exclusive swag like the Chipotle Evo bag, and online activities such as powering up a burrito meter on Twitch.

"This is our third consecutive year at Evo, and every year, it keeps getting better and better," Perdue said. "Our first year [when] we were integrated, we weren't doing as much as this year, but we had a lounge and we played the ad. We heard the crowd chant, 'Chipotle, Chipotle,' and we really knew we had a really engaged community."

She continued, "And so our strategy is just to help them level up their gaming experience, add value to the community. When it came to this year, we knew that we had to up our game from last year."

This year, the brand also featured 2XKO in its lounge, giving folks a chance to test out Vi as its latest addition to the roster. In the past, Chipotle partnered with major fighting game titles such as Street Fighter 6 and TEKKEN 8, and the Street Fighter franchise holds particular meaning for Perdue since she grew up playing the game with her brother and still remembers the iconic Hadouken attack.

An unexpected highlight at Evo Las Vegas 2025 was a marriage proposal that took place on stage. It was between Matt329 and LaVirgoBonita. When we asked Perdue about moments that captured the heart and spirit of the Evo community beyond just the competition, she talked about how the Chipotle community lounge provided respite during high-energy events. Spaces like this let fans and players relax, connect with each other, and even try out new games.

Perdue then added that popular swag like free Chipotle cards, combined with the brand’s consistent presence, integrates Chipotle into gamers' lifestyles in a meaningful way.

"We're constantly looking for fun ways to engage and to also just intertwine how Chipotle fits into their life," she said, adding that a lot of other brands aren't doing this. "Chipotle has a long history of being in the gaming community, and we've done a lot of different things, from sponsoring leagues, tournaments, [and] different high-profile players on esports teams. And I think what we really love about Evo and the fighting game community is just the ability to integrate into the lifestyle of the gamer. And by having these events where everyone's so passionate about the community, it creates a very unique space."

In terms of the Evo Las Vegas 2025 partnership, Perdue revealed that her biggest takeaway is that the space is always evolving and exciting. She mentioned Riot Games' presence and said she's excited about future collaborations with them.

"And I think we'll continue to find interesting ways, like the Burrito Bus, to make Evo fun and also fuel gamers with real food, which is what we're all about," she added.

As for parting words, Perdue said that Chipotle is looking forward to doing more activations in the future.

That's all for now. Did you enjoy Evo Las Vegas this year? Stick around on esports.gg for more interviews, news, and updates!