Operations

Chipotle reaches 4,000th restaurant milestone with Kansas opening

Photo: Chipotle

December 15, 2025

Chipotle Mexican Grill marked a major corporate milestone Friday, opening its 4,000th restaurant in Manhattan, Kansas, moving the chain past the halfway point of its long-term goal of operating 7,000 locations in North America.

To celebrate the opening in the "Little Apple" Chipotle executives rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange in the Big Apple Friday morning.

The Kansas location features a "Chipotlane," the brand's drive-thru lane dedicated exclusively to picking up digital orders. The store also utilizes the company's high-efficiency equipment package, which includes dual-sided planchas to reduce cooking time for proteins, high-capacity fryers, and automated produce slicers.

Stephen Piacentini, Chipotle's chief development officer, said the location showcases design features and equipment upgrades intended to improve the experience for both employees and customers.

Since CEO Scott Boatwright joined the company in 2017, Chipotle has expanded its footprint by approximately 70%, adding roughly 1,700 locations.

"Achieving 4,000 restaurants underscores the strength of our strategic initiatives and commitment to Cultivate a Better World," Boatwright said in a company press release. "Most importantly, our continued growth has allowed us to bring real food made with responsibly sourced ingredients to more communities throughout the world."

The company remains in an aggressive growth phase. Chipotle projects it will open between 315 and 345 restaurants by the end of 2025, with at least 80% of those locations featuring a Chipotlane. For 2026, management anticipates opening 350 to 370 new locations.

While the majority of its footprint remains in the United States, the company is also pursuing international expansion. Chipotle operates more than 100 restaurants outside the U.S., with locations in Canada, Europe, and the Middle East.

The company plans to open its first restaurants in Mexico, South Korea and Singapore in 2026 through development agreements and joint ventures with international partners.