The U.S. fast food chain Chipotle will open its first restaurant in Mexico this week, the company announced on Monday.
The first store will open on Thursday in the upmarket Monterrey suburb of San Pedro Garza García in the border state of Nuevo León. It forms part of a wider rollout across Mexico, with Chipotle’s first store in Mexico City planned for 2027, according to the company.
Chipotle recently partnered with the restaurant group Alsea, which operates brands like Starbucks in Latin America.
“We are entering Mexico with deep respect for the country’s culinary heritage and a commitment to delivering the Chipotle experience with excellence,” Chipotle’s CEO Scott Boatwright said in a statement. “Our research has reinforced our belief that there is strong interest in high-quality, freshly prepared food served with the customization and convenience that Chipotle offers.”
Chipotle has ambitious expansion plans, aiming to add 350 to 370 new restaurants this year to its more than 4,100 stores worldwide. It currently has 3,900 in the U.S. and others in markets such as the Middle East and Europe.
Monterrey’s “strong economy, growing population and status as one of [Mexico’s] leading business and innovation hubs” made it attractive for Chipotle’s Mexico launch, according to the firm.
Some have criticized the company for trying to bring its own interpretation of Mexican food into Mexico. One social media user said the opening of Chipotle in Monterrey was “like the dog teaching a duck to fly”.
The newspaper The Guardian shared several critiques shared by social media users:
“Next up, Panda Express opening its first mainland China location,” wrote one user, in reference to the U.S. Chinese fast-food chain. “Let’s support what’s local,” wrote another. “The earnings of Chipotle will go to the USA; they won’t stay in Mexico.”
A Chipotle competitor, Taco Bell, has tried to enter the Mexican market several times but failed due to a lack of interest in its offerings.
Chipotle may appeal to those who embrace Tex-Mex food because of Monterrey’s proximity to the United States, Inés Carrasco, who writes the blog Crónicas de San Pedro, was reported as saying in The Guardian. However, typically “U.S. franchises don’t succeed in Monterrey,” she added.
Nevertheless, Chipotle’s chief business development officer, Nate Lawson, is optimistic, explaining, “This first location will serve as an important proof-of-concept, giving us the opportunity to better understand local consumer preferences as we thoughtfully grow in Mexico.”
Chipotle has had a successful year after a previous sales decline due to higher burrito prices.
With reports from CNBC, El Financiero and The Guardian
