- The opening marks a significant milestone in Chipotle’s global expansion, establishing South Korea as a reference market for future growth across Asia
- The joint venture established by Chipotle and Sangmidang Holdings, Chipotle’s South Korean operator, will bring the brand’s global operating standards to life across sourcing, culinary preparation and restaurant operations
- Chipotle’s menu features real ingredients with no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, with food prepared fresh throughout the day
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Sept. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) today announced the opening of its first restaurant in Asia at 423 Gangnam-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul, South Korea, in partnership with Sangmidang Holdings (formerly SPC Group). South Korea will serve as a reference market for Chipotle’s expansion across Asia, establishing a model for how the brand can enter new markets while maintaining its culinary and operational standards. The two companies will run Chipotle’s South Korean business through their joint venture, S&C Restaurants Holdings.
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Chipotle selected South Korea for its highly engaged and discerning consumers, sophisticated restaurant culture and strong appreciation for authenticity and ingredient quality. The market provides an important opportunity to demonstrate how Chipotle’s Food with Integrity principles and culinary approach can resonate across Asia.
“Asia represents a significant growth opportunity for Chipotle, with strong demand for variety, convenience and real food prepared fresh and served fast,” said Scott Boatwright, Chief Executive Officer of Chipotle. “South Korea, in particular, is an ideal market to introduce Chipotle to the region, and we see tremendous potential to grow from here. As we scale across Asia, we will remain focused on what has always differentiated Chipotle—a delicious, customizable meal at a value you can’t find anywhere else.”
Delivering the Chipotle Experience in South Korea
The partnership combines Sangmidang Holdings’ extensive restaurant industry, operational and South Korean market knowledge with Chipotle’s culinary expertise. Sangmidang Holdings will be responsible for faithfully delivering the Chipotle experience in South Korea—from ingredient sourcing and cooking methods to team training and restaurant operations. The partnership will help ensure the fundamentals that define Chipotle remain consistent as the brand enters a new region.
“We are thrilled to bring Chipotle to South Korean consumers following tremendous anticipation for the brand’s arrival,” said Hee-soo Hur, President, Chief Vision Officer (CVO) of Sangmidang Holdings. “Chipotle offers a distinctive dining experience centered on choice, quality and the freedom for every guest to create a meal that reflects their individual tastes. We are proud to introduce the brand to Asia and committed to delivering the authentic Chipotle experience our guests expect.”
Real Ingredients, Prepared Fresh
Chipotle’s menu is built from real ingredients and contains no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. The brand’s culinary approach emphasizes classic cooking techniques and fresh preparation, with ingredients chopped, seasoned, grilled and prepared in the restaurant throughout the day.
Guests in Seoul can customize burritos, bowls, tacos, quesadillas and salads with familiar Chipotle ingredients and recipes, bringing the brand’s signature menu to South Korea.
In partnership with Sangmidang Holdings, Chipotle plans to continue its expansion with two more locations in South Korea by the end of 2026, followed by its first restaurant in Singapore in 2027.
Chipotle’s business development group, led by Chief Business Development Officer Nate Lawton, is exploring additional opportunities for growth via outside partnerships. 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 4,200 restaurants as of June 30, 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 the United States, Canada and Europe. With nearly 140,000 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 Sangmidang Holdings and Big Bite Company
Sangmidang Holdings is a South Korea-based global food company with more than 80 years of history. The company owns 30 well-known brands, including Paris Baguette, Paris Croissant, Passion 5, Coffee@Works and StrEAT, and operates approximately 7,000 locations worldwide.
Sangmidang Holdings has also successfully introduced a number of global brands to the South Korean market, including Baskin-Robbins, Dunkin’, Pascucci, LINA’S, Jamba and Shake Shack.
Big Bite Company is a restaurant-focused company affiliated with Sangmidang Holdings, with experience operating global restaurant brands in South Korea. It operates Chipotle South Korea through S&C Restaurants Holdings Pte. Ltd., a joint venture established with Chipotle.
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 Chipotle restaurants in South Korea, Chipotle’s plans to open a restaurant in Singapore and Chipotle’s prospects for business in Asia. We use words such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “believe,” “could,” “should,” “may,” “will” 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 speak only as of the date they are made. 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
