If you don’t hear from the Deli Market News writing team for a couple of days, it may be because we are on a trip to Louisville, Kentucky, visiting Chipotle Mexican Grill’s newest restaurant with a Chipotlane®. This recent milestone opening marks the foodservice operator’s 500th location with the drive-thru pick-up lane, showcasing its commitment to convenience and driving access to its food.
"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 United States in 2018, and gives consumers and delivery drivers a fast, convenient way to pick up orders. According to a release, new restaurant openings that feature this digital pick-up lane have seen higher volumes and greater returns than the traditional Chipotle restaurant format.
Next year, the company plans to open between 255 and 285 new restaurants, with at least 80 percent including a Chipotlane.
To further increase access for its digital guests, Chipotle recently partnered with ASAP.com, a regional marketplace partner that provides seamless delivery service in more than 1,000 cities, mainly across the Southeast and Northeast. The partnership intends to provide a timely delivery experience from more than 600 Chipotle restaurants on the East Coast, South, and Midwest, in addition to Chipotle's existing national delivery partnerships.
Chipotle's 500th Chipotlane restaurant is located in Louisville's Fern Creek neighborhood of Jefferson County at 7710 Bardstown Road.
Where will this innovative format pop up next? Stay tuned to Deli Market News to find out.
