After a surprisingly strong start, Chipotle plans more restaurants in Nuevo León and Mexico City

Chipotle, the U.S. fast-casual food chain inspired by Mexican and Tex-Mex food, plans to open more restaurants in Mexico after its first branch in the country exceeded expectations.  

Mexico’s first Chipotle restaurant opened in July 2026 in the border state of Nuevo León, in the high-end municipality of San Pedro Garza García, part of the greater Monterrey area. 

Alsea, a Mexican company that operates the U.S. brand, said it plans to open between three and four additional locations in Nuevo León during the first quarter of 2027, while also preparing for its entry into Mexico City that same year.

According to Alsea CEO Christian Gurría, the public’s positive response to the first restaurant exceeded the “honeymoon effect” associated with the initial excitement surrounding an opening.

“Now that our operation is consolidating and the flow of customers is stabilizing, we remain above [expectations],” Gurría said during a call with analysts cited by Bloomberg Línea. 

Chipotle arrived in the country after other Tex-Mex food chains tried—and failed—to establish a market there, including U.S. fast-food mainstay Taco Bell, which attempted to expand into Mexico in the 1990s and the 2000s.

Gurría attributed the favorable reception of Chipotle to a combination of price, quality, and portion size. According to Bloomberg Línea, the bowls, burritos, and salads on the Mexican menu cost between 150 and 200 pesos (US $7.98 and $10.64).

The expansion of Chipotle is part of the renewal of Alsea’s portfolio in Mexico, which also includes preparations for the arrival of Raising Cane’s, a U.S. chain specializing in breaded chicken tenders. According to Gurría, the brand’s first branch is set to open in the first quarter of 2027.

Beyond Mexico, Alsea operates and develops restaurant and coffee shop chains in other parts of Latin America and Europe. Its portfolio includes brands such as Starbucks, Domino’s Pizza, Burger King, Vips, Chili’s, Italianni’s, P. F. Chang’s, and The Cheesecake Factory.

According to Alsea’s latest financial report cited by specialized media Merca 2.0, Starbucks remains one of its largest-scale operations with 1,983 coffee shops across 12 countries, including 976 located in Mexico.

 The company operates more than 4,800 units across 12 countries, and trades on the Mexican Stock Exchange.