Franchising
Chipotle expanding Canadian presence
March 23, 2021
Chipotle Mexican Grill is adding to its 23 units in Canada, opening March 30 in Surrey, British Columbia. The country's first last opening was in 2018 in Markham, Ontario.
"Canada has cleared our stage-gate process, and we are ready to accelerate new restaurant openings," CFO Jack Hartung said in a company press release. "We will be experimenting with different location formats and restaurant designs throughout the country to gauge consumer preferences in the various markets."
The chain's first Canadian Chipotlane, a drive-thru digital order pickup lane, will open his summer in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia.
In addition to the Surrey and Port Coquitlam locations, Chipotle plans to open six additional restaurants in British Columbia and Ontario over the next 12 months.
Increasing access to real food
Chipotle has invested in digital platforms and delivery partnerships in response to growing demand in Canada. In May 2020, it inked a deal with Uber Eats to grow its delivery footprint for Canadian guests, and a month later, the brand officially launched the Chipotle app in Canada. Fans in Canada may now order meals via chipotle.ca or the Chipotle app, as well as through DoorDash and Uber Eats.
Menu innovation
Chipotle's digital progress has been coupled with growing menu innovation for Canadian customers. In January, the brand launched Cilantro-Lime Cauliflower Rice, its latest plant-based option, in Canada for a limited time. Earlier this month, Chipotle added its first-ever customizable digital entrée, the Hand-Crafted Quesadilla, to the Chipotle app in Canada and chipotle.ca. The Quesadilla is folded and pressed using a new custom oven in Chipotle's Digital Kitchen, which melts the cheese perfectly and enables restaurants to make Quesadillas more quickly and conveniently. This marks the first customizable entrée Chipotle has added to its menu since it introduced a salad option 17 years ago.
"Given the rising popularity of Chipotle's real food in Canada, we believe there is a massive growth opportunity in this international market," Anat Davidzon, managing director – Canada, Chipotle. "Our team is focused on continuing to find ways to increase access to Chipotle for our Canadian fans."
Chipotle has over 2,750 restaurants in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Germany.
