Chipotle’s ShopHouse Concept Will Have Summer D.C. Premiere

Just after our last FER Fortnightly deadline, Chipotle Mexican Grill unveiled additional details for its new restaurant concept slated to open this summer. We’d already reported most of the news, but now we have the location of the chain’s new Asian concept: ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen will open its doors this summer in Washington, D.C.

The ShopHouse concept is inspired by ground-floor restaurants run by family owners living upstairs; they are found throughout Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. Like Chipotle, the menu will feature sustainably raised ingredients. The store format will be similar to that already found in Chipotle units, with customers moving along a service line and customizing their meal according to flavor preference and diet.

The Denver-based chain is having a good year. Its first quarter financial results, reported April 20 for the period ending March 31, compare favorably to the same period a year prior. Revenue was up 24.3% to $509.4 million and comparable restaurant sales up 12.4%. During the quarter, Chipotle opened 12 new restaurants, including one relocation, bringing the total restaurant count to 1,095. In 2011, management expects comparable sales growth while opening 135-145 new restaurants.