Chipotle Announces Opening Of Its 500th Chipotle Restaurant

(RTTNews) - Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) Thursday announced the opening of its 500th restaurant with a Chipotlane, the brand's digital order drive thru pick-up lane.

The iconic 500th outlet is located in Louisville, Kentucky.

"We are thrilled to celebrate this landmark Chipotlane opening," said Tabassum Zalotrawala, Chief Development Officer. "Chipotlanes are the digital drive thru of the future and a key piece of our growth strategy as we plan to more than double our restaurant count over the long term to achieve 7,000 restaurants or more in North America."

The Chipotlane format was introduced in the U.S. in early 2018, giving guests and delivery drivers a fast and convenient experience. New restaurant openings that feature this digital order pick-up lane have demonstrated higher volumes and greater returns than a traditional Chipotle restaurant format.

In October 2021, Chipotle opened its first Chipotlane restaurant in Canada. Next year, the company plans to open between 255 to 285 new restaurants, with at least 80% including a Chipotlane.