Chipotle announced Monday that it plans to debut in Mexico, further bolstering an international development program it began nearly two years ago.
The fast casual will open the new restaurants in partnership with Alsea, which operates more than 4,700 units in Mexico, Spain, Chile, Colombia, France, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Uruguay, and Paraguay.
“We are confident that our responsibly sourced, classically-cooked real food will resonate with guests in Mexico,” Nate Lawton, Chipotle’s chief business development officer, said in a statement. “The country’s familiarity with our ingredients and affinity for fresh food make it an attractive growth market for our company.”
Alsea hopes to open the first location by early 2026 and explore additional markets.
“We are proud to work with an iconic brand like Chipotle and help grow its international business for years to come,” Alsea CEO Armando Torrado said in a statement. “Through this development agreement, we will continue to leverage our vast knowledge of the Mexican consumer and restaurant industry expertise to bring our customers the best food experiences and brands from around the world.”
The moves comes after Chipotle signed its first international development agreement in July 2023 with Alshaya Group, who helped Chipotle open stores in the Middle East. The company operates three outlets in Kuwait and two in the United Arab Emirates.
Chipotle also operates 58 locations in Canada, 20 in the U.K., six in France, and two in Germany. Overall, it oversees more than 3,700 units and plans to open between 315 and 345 new restaurants in 2025. It’s long-term goal is to have 7,000 locations in the U.S. and Canada.
Chipotle’s revenue in Q4 lifted 13.1 percent to $2.8 billion. Same-store sales bumped 5.4 percent (13.8 percent two-year stack), comprised of 4 percent traffic and a 1.4 percent lift in average check. Digital sales mixed 34.4 percent of F&B revenue. Operating margin was 14.6 percent, an increase from 14.4 percent. And restaurant-level operating margin of 24.8 percent, a decrease from 25.4 percent.
For the year, the brand’s same-store sales gained 7.4 percent on top of 2023’s 7.9 percent (15.3 percent two-year view). That broke apart as higher transaction of 5.3 percent and a 2.1 percent rise in average check. Digital sales of $3.9 billion represented 35 percent of mix.
