Chipotle Headed to Asia

Chipotle Mexican Grill (Newport Beach, Calif.) has signed a joint venture agreement to open its first restaurants in Asia. The restaurant is partnering with SPC Group (Seoul), to open the first Chipotles in South Korea and Singapore in 2026.

“With a rapidly evolving dining-out business, fueled by preferences for variety and convenience, expanding into Asia presents an incredible growth opportunity for Chipotle,” said Chipotle CEO Scott Boatwright. “Real food prepared fast is in high demand in these markets and with notable brand awareness among consumers, we see potential for strong adoption out of the gate.”

Said Heesoo Hur, EVP and owner of SPC Group, which owns 30 brands and operates 7000 stores worldwide under such banners as Paris Baguette, Passion 5, Coffee@Works and StrEAT: “Given the familiarity of this iconic brand among Koreans and Singaporeans, and their passion for exceptional culinary experiences, these two markets are ideal entry points for Chipotle in Asia.”

This is the latest overseas step by Chipotle, which signed its first international development agreement in July 2023 with Alshaya Group to open restaurants in the Middle East. (Alshaya has since opened three restaurants in Kuwait and three in the United Arab Emirates.) Next, in April 2025, Chipotle signed a development agreement with Alsea S.A.B. de C.V. to open eateries in Mexico for the first time.

Chipotle’s existing international portfolio of owned-and-operated restaurants includes over 60 locations in Canada; 20 in the United Kingdom; six locations in France; and two in Germany. In all, the company currently operates 3800-plus restaurants and plans to open between 315 and 345 new ones this year, with a long-term target of operating 7000 locations in the U.S. and Canada.