Newport Beach, Calif. — Chipotle Mexican Grill has signed a joint venture to open restaurants in Asia for the first time. In partnership with SPC Group, a leading South Korea-based food company, Chipotle plans to open its first restaurants in South Korea and Singapore in 2026.
“With a rapidly evolving dining-out business, fueled by preferences for variety and convenience, expanding into Asia presents an incredible growth opportunity for Chipotle,” says Scott Boatwright, chief executive officer of Chipotle. “Real food prepared fast is in high demand in these markets and with notable brand awareness among consumers, we see potential for strong adoption out of the gate.”
“Given the familiarity of this iconic brand among Koreans and Singaporeans, and their passion for exceptional culinary experiences, these two markets are ideal entry points for Chipotle in Asia,” says Heesoo Hur, executive vice president and owner of SPC Group. “In addition, we have a proven track record of developing global brands and we see an opportunity for leveraging our market expertise to introduce Chipotle’s delicious, responsibly sourced food to guests across the continent who aren’t yet familiar with the concept’s real ingredients prepared fresh daily.”
Chipotle signed its first international development agreement in July 2023 with Alshaya Group to open restaurants in the Middle East. Alshaya Group currently operates three restaurants in Kuwait and three in the United Arab Emirates. In April 2025, Chipotle signed a development agreement to open restaurants in Mexico for the first time. Alsea, S.A.B. de C.V. (Alsea), a leading restaurant operator in Latin America and Europe, will open the first Chipotle location in Mexico in 2026 and begin exploring additional expansion markets in the region.
Chipotle’s existing international portfolio of owned and operated restaurants includes over 60 locations in Canada; 20 in the United Kingdom; six locations in France; and two in Germany. The company currently operates over 3,800 restaurants and plans to open between 315 and 345 new restaurants this year, with a long term target of operating 7,000 locations in the U.S. and Canada. For more information, visit www.chipotle.com.
SPC Group is a Korea-based global food company with over 80 years of history. It owns 30 brands and operates 7,000 stores worldwide, including Paris Baguette, Paris Croissant, Passion 5, Coffee@Works and StrEAT. SPC Group has successfully introduced global brands to the Korean market, including Baskin Robbins, Dunkin, Pascucci, LINA’s, Jamba and Shake Shack.
SOURCE: Chipotle Mexican Grill