Chipotle Bets on Bold Flavors, New Menu Items After Sales Stumble

Chipotle is betting that bold new flavors can do what burritos and slop bowls alone no longer can: bring customers back.

The chain is leaning hard into limited-time proteins, new sauces, and global twists to spice up its slowing business.

“Nothing brings new people into Chipotle or reminds existing people to come to Chipotle again, like new items,” Chris Brandt, president and chief brand officer at Chipotle, told Business Insider.

This year, Chipotle has launched two proteins as limited-time offerings: new honey chipotle chicken in March and the return of carne asada in September. As for its limited-time sauces, the fast-casual Mexican grill restaurant debuted adobo ranch in June, followed by a smoky red chimichurri sauce in September.

The new menu innovations come as Chipotle has faced two consecutive quarters of declining sales. The entire fast-casual sector has taken a hit this year, with consumers pulling back on spending and seeking out more value-driven meal deals. Laurie Schalow, Chipotle’s chief corporate affairs officer, in September told Business Insider that the company’s health remains very strong.

In response, Chipotle’s strategy has been to double down on offering attractive new menu items to coax cost-conscious customers back — and try to court young consumers to become lifelong fans.

“Sauces are an easy way and a low-risk way — as people are a little bit pressed for money — to be adventurous, but with affordable innovation, I would call it,” Brandt said.

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He said young consumers are embracing international food and “looking for something a little bit different, maybe more than any generation before them.”

In addition to the new menu items, Chipotle also launched a line of dorm room merchandise this year in collaboration with Urban Outfitters and a loyalty program geared toward college students.

The California-based company is innovating beyond its home turf, too. Its limited-time offerings are available in Canada. The company also said earlier this month it would expand into Asian markets for the first time, opening restaurants in Singapore and South Korea with its full US menu.

While Chipotle’s staple menu items remain the same across markets, Brandt said the company will consider regional offerings in the future.

“We believe that Chipotle’s menu translates really well across all of those different markets,” Brandt said. “So we don’t feel the need to do a lot of localization — there might be some of that as we continue to expand, but we like to go right out the gate and prove that what people love about Chipotle here is going to be the same in a lot of different places.”