Overview
- Chipotle opened its first restaurant in Asia in Seoul on Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026, at 423 Gangnam‑daero and will operate South Korea through the S&C Restaurants Holdings joint venture.
- Sangmidang Holdings and its affiliate Big Bite Company will oversee ingredient sourcing, cooking methods, employee training and day‑to‑day restaurant operations under the joint‑venture agreement.
- The company said it will open two additional locations in South Korea by the end of 2026 and plans a first restaurant in Singapore in 2027 as part of a phased rollout.
- The Seoul menu follows Chipotle’s ‘Food with Integrity’ standards, offering customizable burritos, bowls, tacos, quesadillas and salads made from ingredients without artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.
- Chipotle’s business development team, led by Nate Lawton, is soliciting partners across Asia so the South Korea launch can serve as a reference market that informs local sourcing and scale decisions.