Weekend round-up: Chipotle brings back brisket as Mendocino Farms grows in Colorado

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

A slow weekend on the wires still brought a major-brand menu return, a new Colorado city for Mendocino Farms and growth moves from Luna Grill and The Big Greek…

Chipotle turns CJ Carr partnership into a campus loyalty contest

October 19, 2026

Chipotle Mexican Grill is giving Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr a new role: brand ambassador. The name, image and likeness (NIL) partnership between football…

The 'Big Ass' shift: What Chipotle’s newest campaign says about brands getting real

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

While the specs of a 170-liter burrito bag are hilarious, the real story here isn't just about packaging or family-sized carnitas; it's about culture.

Starbucks puts the brakes on Chipotle takeover rumors

Count me among those who aren't the least bit shocked to learn that the Starbucks-Chipotle acquisition talk was nothing more than a rumor.

Chipotle turns vegetables into musical instruments for new song

October 5, 2026

Trombone onion. Photo courtesy of Chipotle Chipotle Mexican Grill has teamed up with the five-member London Vegetable Orchestra to record an original…

Chipotle opens 1,500th Chipotlane in Florida

October 5, 2026

Chipotle Mexican Grill opened its 1,500th Chipotlane Sept. 29 at 16680 SR 64 East in Bradenton, Florida.

Chipotle opens 1st Asia location in Seoul

September 2, 2026

Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. has opened its first restaurant in Asia, a location in Seoul, South Korea, through a joint partnership with Sangmidang Holdings…

Restaurant traffic rebounds post Cyclospora

August 26, 2026

The newest data from Placer.ai reveals restaurant traffic is recovering from the Cyclospora outbreak.

Chipotle opening in Saudi Arabia

August 13, 2026

Chipotle Mexican Grill is opening its first restaurant in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia later this month in partnership with Alshaya Group, at Sidra, a dining…

FDA, CDC say danger has passed after Chipotle, Qdoba pull jalapenos

August 6, 2026

Qdoba has "proactively" removed jalapenos from its menu after the FDA recalled fresh jalapeños from Sinaloa, Mexico, and distributed by Coast Citrus…

Chipotle: 'Robust ingredient traceability system' flagged jalapeños tied to salmonella probe

August 5, 2026

Chipotle Mexican Grill has reiterated that jalapeños identified from a common lot remain the focus of its internal investigation into a salmonella outbreak…

Chipotle pulls jalapenos from some restaurants amid salmonella outbreak investigation

August 4, 2026

After a weeks of worrying about lettuce being contaminated, customers may now need to avoid jalapenos.

Traffic counts show signs of recovery post Cyclospora

August 3, 2026

Restaurant chains that experienced sharp declines in foot traffic following the recent Cyclospora outbreak are beginning to recover, although some brands…

Taco Bell responds to Cyclospora outbreak, becomes first major chain to pull at-risk ingredients

by Valerie Gritton — Editor, Pizza Marketplace

A Cyclospora outbreak has restaurant leaders on alert.

Chipotle opens 1st Mexico restaurant, plans further expansion

July 13, 2026

Chipotle Mexican Grill opened its first restaurant in Mexico on Thursday, marking a new chapter in the chain's international growth strategy. The restaurant…

Why Chipotle is funding these 6 emerging brands

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

July 8, 2026

The chain's Cultivate Next will fund Benchmark Labs, IMIO, Clean Crop Technologies, Athian, SIMPLi and PopID.

Chipotle COO Jason Kidd reveals strategy behind tech-driven back-of-house overhaul

Chipotle COO Jason Kidd joins Fast Casual Nation hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler to break down how the 4,100-unit brand is winning and retaining the…

Presented by Star Micronics America

GOOOOOOOALLLLLLL: Fast casual restaurants capitalizing on World Cup fever

by Amy Sorter — Writer and Editor, Connect Media

Along with national pride and fan excitement, this year's FIFA World Cup provides restaurants with an opportunity to increase their customer base. Experts tell…

Yelp's 2026 growth data: Fast casual brands, customization devouring the competition

by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

Fast casual is dominating when it comes not only to specific brands — 7 Brews, Dave's Hot Chicken, Cava and Chipotle — but also to the culture it has helped…

Sweetgreen names Cindy Olsen chief strategy officer

May 28, 2026

Sweetgreen, Inc. has appointed Cindy Olsen to the newly created position of senior vice president and chief strategy officer, effective immediately.