Chipotle To Grow Footprint In Canada With New Locations

Chipotle Mexican Grill plans to continue its growth in Canada with new locations set to open in the country this year.

The quick-service restaurant (QSR) chain intends to open a new store in Surrey, British Columbia on March 30. That location will be its first new location in the country since the opening of its Markham, Ontario store in October 2018, according to a Tuesday (March 23) announcement.

“Canada has cleared our stage-gate process, and we are ready to accelerate new restaurant openings,” Chief Financial Officer Jack Hartung said in the announcement. “We will be experimenting with different location formats and restaurant designs throughout the country to gauge consumer preferences in the various markets.”

In addition, the QSR chain intends to introduce its first Chipotlane in Canada at a new location opening in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia in the summer. The Chipotlane is the company’s drive-thru online order pickup lane, which “increases access and convenience by providing a speedy and seamless guest experience in under a minute,” according to the announcement.

Moreover, Chipotle intends to open half a dozen more restaurants in Ontario and British Columbia during the 12 months to come. As it stands, 23 Chipotle locations are in existence in the country. They are in present in the Vancouver and Toronto regions in addition to Ottawa and London, Ontario.

The news comes as Chipotle posted a 177.2 percent year-over-year jump in digital sales to $781.4 million in the fourth quarter.

In January, Chipotle unveiled an experimental run of its new carside pickup initiative. Chipotle Carside will be piloted at nearly 30 of the firm’s eateries in California, while there are plans for a future national rollout.

The functionality will just be available via the eatery’s mobile program, encouraging pandemic-conscious diners who hope to harness the safe pickup option to engage digitally with the restaurant company.