Chipotle Opens First Asia Restaurant in Seoul and Targets Singapore for 2027

According to CNBC, Chipotle Mexican Grill opened its first Asia-region restaurant in Seoul's Gangnam neighborhood in early September and said its joint venture with South Korean food company Sangmidang Holdings is an important part of its global growth strategy. Nate Lawton, Chipotle's chief business development officer, said the company is using the partnership to build a repeatable model for entering and scaling in new markets while preserving the brand, and the joint venture, S&C Restaurants Holdings, is 51% owned by Big Bite Company, an affiliate of Sangmidang, with Chipotle holding 49%. Chipotle's partner said it is targeting the first half of 2027 for a Singapore launch, though the timing and location have not been finalized. Lawton said Singapore is a natural next step in Asia. The company has also said it is expanding through partnerships in the Middle East and Mexico, while its local partner in South Korea built a supply chain designed to meet Chipotle's global food quality standards.