- Chipotle and Alsea plan additional openings in Nuevo León this year and expansion into Mexico City in 2027
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., July 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) today announced that the first Chipotle restaurant in Mexico will open on Thursday, July 16 in San Pedro Garza García, Nuevo León, part of the Monterrey metropolitan area, in partnership with Alsea (BMV:ALSEA), a leading restaurant operator in Latin America and Europe. The opening marks a significant milestone in Chipotle's international growth strategy and introduces the company's menu of freshly prepared, customizable burritos, bowls, salads, tacos and quesadillas to guests in Mexico.
This restaurant is the first location to open under the development agreement Chipotle and Alsea announced in April 2025. Building on this market entry, Chipotle and Alsea plan to open additional restaurants in Nuevo León later this year and expand into Mexico City in 2027.
"We are entering Mexico with deep respect for the country's culinary heritage and a commitment to delivering the Chipotle experience with excellence," said Scott Boatwright, Chief Executive Officer of Chipotle. "Our research has reinforced our belief that there is strong interest in high-quality, freshly prepared food served with the customization and convenience that Chipotle offers. Nuevo León is an ideal place to begin this journey, and with Alsea's operational expertise and deep local market knowledge, we look forward to serving new guests and earning a place in Mexico's vibrant dining culture."
"We've spent years evaluating opportunities to bring Chipotle to Mexico, and this week's opening reinforces our confidence in the market," said Nate Lawton, Chief Business Development Officer of Chipotle. "Our initial focus is on opening one great restaurant and learning alongside our guests and our partners at Alsea. This first location will serve as an important proof-of-concept, giving us the opportunity to better understand local consumer preferences as we thoughtfully grow in Mexico."
The new restaurant features Chipotle's signature menu prepared fresh throughout the day with the same chef-led standards and classic cooking techniques that have shaped the brand since its founding. The company sources many of its ingredients from suppliers throughout the region and remains committed to serving real food made with wholesome ingredients and without artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.
The Monterrey metropolitan area was selected as Chipotle's first location in Mexico due to its strong economy, growing population, and status as one of the country's leading business and innovation hubs. The restaurant represents the first step in Chipotle and Alsea's broader expansion strategy as the companies evaluate opportunities across Mexico's largest metropolitan markets.
"Bringing Chipotle to Mexico is an important step in our growth and portfolio diversification strategy. We are introducing an iconic brand with a differentiated value proposition that has resonated with millions of guests around the world, and we are confident it will be warmly welcomed by Mexican consumers. This week's opening reflects our confidence in Mexico's growth potential and our commitment to continuing to drive investment, job creation, and economic development in the communities where we operate," said Christian Gurría, Chief Executive Officer of Alsea.
Chipotle's Growing International Footprint
Chipotle signed its first international development agreement in July 2023 with Alshaya Group to open restaurants in the Middle East. Alshaya Group currently operates 15 restaurants across the UAE, Kuwait and Qatar. In September 2025, Chipotle announced a joint venture with SPC Group, a leading South Korean food and bakery company, to expand the brand into Asia for the first time, with plans to open its first restaurant in South Korea later this year and in Singapore early next year.
Chipotle's existing international portfolio of owned and operated restaurants includes more than 80 locations in Canada, 20 in the U.K., six in France, and two in Germany. The company currently operates more than 4,100 restaurants worldwide and expects to open between 350 and 370 new restaurants in 2026 as it continues to execute its "Recipe for Growth" strategy, including a target of operating 7,000 locations in the U.S. and Canada.
Chipotle's business development group, led by Chief Business Development Officer Nate Lawton, continues to evaluate strategic opportunities to accelerate the company's global growth through partnerships, joint ventures, and development agreements. Information on submitting a proposal can be found at https://ir.chipotle.com/contact-us.
About Chipotle
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG) is cultivating a better world by serving responsibly sourced, classically-cooked, real food with wholesome ingredients without artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. There are over 4,100 restaurants as of March 31, 2026, in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and the Middle East and it is the only restaurant company of its size that owns and operates all its restaurants in North America and Europe. With over 135,000 employees passionate about providing a great guest experience, Chipotle is a longtime leader and innovator in the food industry. Chipotle is committed to making its food more accessible to everyone while continuing to be a brand with a demonstrated purpose as it leads the way in digital, technology and sustainable business practices. For more information or to place an order online, visit chipotle.com.
About Alsea
Alsea is the leading restaurant operator in Latin America and Europe of global brands in the quick service, coffee shop and fast casual dining segments. It has a diversified portfolio, with brands such as Domino's Pizza, Starbucks, Burger King, Chili's, P.F. Chang's, Italianni's, The Cheesecake Factory, Vips, Archies, Foster's Hollywood, Gino's and Chipotle. The company operates more than 4,800 units in Mexico, Spain, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, France, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Uruguay and Paraguay. Alsea's business model includes support for its brands through a Shared Services Center that provides all the Administrative and Development Processes, as well as the Supply Chain.
For more information please visit: www.alsea.net
*Alsea shares are traded on the Mexican Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol ALSEA
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements about the timing of opening the first and additional future Chipotle restaurants in Mexico, Chipotle's prospects for business in Mexico, the Middle East and Asia, Chipotle's plans to open between 350 and 370 new restaurants in 2026, and its "Recipe for Growth," including its target of operating 7,000 locations in the U.S. and Canada. We use words such as "anticipate," "expect," "believe," "could," "should," "may," "are confident" and similar terms and phrases to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on currently available operating, financial and competitive information, available to us as of the date of this release and we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the statements, including the risks described from time to time in our SEC reports, including our annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, all of which are available on the investor relations page of our website at ir.chipotle.com.
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SOURCE Chipotle Mexican Grill