Chipotle Mexican Grill announced the opening of its 4,000th restaurant, located in Manhattan, Kansas, known as the “Little Apple.” To commemorate this achievement, Chipotle’s executive leadership team and restaurant leaders rang The Opening Bell® at The New York Stock Exchange in the “Big Apple.” Thenew Manhattan, Kansas restaurant includes the brand’s signature Chipotlane, a drive-thru pick-up lane that allows guests to retrieve digital orders without leaving their cars. It also features Chipotle’s new High-Efficiency Equipment Package, which consists of a Three-Pan Rice Cooker that enables higher cooking volumes and consistent batching, a Dual Sided Plancha that reduces cook time for steak, chicken and fajita veggies, a High-Capacity Fryer that improves throughput for fresh chips, and a Produce Slicer that automates the slicing of produce to streamline prep. The package allows staff to be deployed more effectively during peak hours and is designed to simplify cooking processes for employees while maintaining Chipotle’s high culinary standards.
“Our 4,000th restaurant in Manhattan, Kansas is both a milestone for our growth and a celebration of the guests who have asked us to bring Chipotle to their communities,” Stephen Piacentini, Chief Development Officer commented . “This location showcases more convenient access points, sustainable design features and equipment upgrades that elevate the experience for our team members and our guests.”
Since current CEO Scott Boatwright joined Chipotle in 2017 as Chief Restaurant Officer, the company has grown from over 2,300 restaurants to 4,000 locations, a 70% increase in only eight years. Chipotle will open between 315 to 345 restaurants for the full year 2025, with at least 80% featuring a Chipotlane. For 2026, management is anticipating 350 to 370 new restaurant openings, including 10 to 15 international partner-operated locations.
“Achieving 4,000 restaurants underscores the strength of our strategic initiatives and commitment to Cultivate a Better World,” Scott Boatwright, Chief Executive Officer commented “Most importantly, our continued growth has allowed us to bring real food made with responsibly sourced ingredients to more communities throughout the world and create new career opportunities for our team members.”
To date, Chipotle has over 100 restaurants outside the U.S., including 75 in Canada, 28 in Europe and 11 partner-operated locations in the Middle East. Last month, in partnership with Alshaya Group, the first Chipotlane outside of North America opened at Bneid Al Gar in Kuwait. Additionally, the company signed a development agreement to open restaurants in Mexico for the first time next year with Alsea, S.A.B. de C.V. (Alsea), a leading restaurant operator in Latin America and Europe. Through a joint venture with SPC Group, a leading South Korea-based food company, the first Chipotle restaurants in South Korea and Singapore are also scheduled to open in 2026.