Chipotle Accelerates Expansion Into Canada

by Katie Lee

Newport Beach, Calif. — Chipotle Mexican Grill will continue its expansion into Canada with a new location in Surrey, British Columbia, that is scheduled to open on March 30. The restaurant will be Chipotle’s first new Canadian location since its Markham, Ontario, restaurant opened in October 2018.

Chipotle also plans to unveil its first Canadian Chipotlane at a new restaurant opening in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, this summer. Chipotlane, the brand’s drive-thru digital order pickup lane, increases access and convenience by providing a speedy and seamless guest experience in under a minute.

In addition to the Surrey and Port Coquitlam locations, Chipotle plans to open six additional restaurants in British Columbia and Ontario over the next 12 months. There are currently 23 Chipotle restaurants in Canada, with locations in the greater Toronto and Vancouver metro areas as well as Ottawa and London, Ontario.

“Canada has cleared our stage-gate process, and we are ready to accelerate new restaurant openings,” says Jack Hartung, chief financial officer. “We will be experimenting with different location formats and restaurant designs throughout the country to gauge consumer preferences in the various markets.”

Chipotle has invested in digital platforms and delivery partnerships in response to growing demand in Canada. In May 2020, Chipotle inked a deal with Uber Eats to grow its delivery footprint for Canadian guests, and a month later, the brand officially launched the Chipotle app in Canada. Fans in Canada can now order their favorite Chipotle meals via chipotle.ca or the Chipotle app, as well as through DoorDash and Uber Eats.

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. is the only restaurant company of its size that owns and operates all of its restaurants; as of December 31, 2020, it had over 2,750 restaurants in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Germany and. Steve Ells, founder, first opened Chipotle with a single restaurant in Denver in 1993. For more information, visit www.chipotle.com.

 

 

 

SOURCE: Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.

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