Food & Beverage

Chipotle testing brisket

Provided

November 30, 2020

Chipotle Mexican Grill is testing smoked brisket at 64 restaurants in Cincinnati and part of Sacramento, California. Chipotle's latest protein features smoked beef brisket seasoned with a special spice blend, seared on the grill and finished with a sauce made with Mexican peppers, CMO Chris Brandt said in a company press release.

"We're thrilled to offer a new, responsibly-sourced brisket that tastes terrific and meets our industry leading Food with Integrity standards," he said. "The richness of our real Smoked Brisket recipe delivers a craveable new flavor to our guests as we continue to innovate across our menu."

Chipotle is using its "stage-gate process" to listen, test and learn from customer feedback and iterate before deciding on a national launch strategy.

In 2019 and 2020, three Chipotle menu items, Carne Asada, Supergreens Salad Mix and Queso Blanco, completed the stage-gate process and were rolled out on a national scale.

In July, Chipotle began testing Cilantro-Lime Cauliflower Rice at restaurants in Denver and throughout Wisconsin, in addition to a digital-only quesadilla in Cleveland and Indianapolis.

The company also introduced certified organic Lemonades, Aguas Frescas and Teas from farmer-founded Tractor Beverage Co. across all U.S. restaurants in late July.

Brisket will be available for in-restaurant, online, mobile and contactless delivery orders at participating locations for a limited time.

Chipotle has over 2,700 restaurants in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Germany.