Chipotle Breaks Into New Country, Premieres New Design

Chipotle is destined for more international growth.

This month, the brand touched down in the Middle East with a store in a Kuwait City’s largest shopping mall now open, and a Dubai location on deck.

International franchise retail operator Alshaya Group will operate both units, plus two more, with the remaining three expected to open later this year.

The opening in Kuwait represents the first time Chipotle has entered a new country in over 10 years. Further, the location is the first to use the brand’s latest design format, featuring the following elements: wood tile floor (vs. concrete floor); Corten steel art wall; a Corten ceiling and lighting element; and updated, texture-rich wall finishes.

The location offers in-person ordering at the makeline as well as kiosk and mobile app ordering. The kiosks, it says, also enable menu exploration for first-time guests, and the brand’s quesadilla (a digital-only item) can be ordered through the kiosk or app.

Chipotle’s international portfolio of owned and operated restaurants includes 41 locations in Canada; 19 in the United Kingdom; six in France and two in Germany. In North America, the company owns and operates over 3,400 restaurants and is targeting 8%-10% growth per year for the foreseeable future, with at least 80% including a Chipotlane.