The slop bowl wars make their way to Asia as Chipotle expands to Singapore and South Korea

""Both markets have large, fast-growing out-of-home dining cultures that prioritize real food, and consumers are highly familiar with American brands like Chipotle through education, travel, and social media conversations among relevant celebrities," a Chipotle spokesperson told Business Insider about the expansion. "Operationally, the dense urban footprints of major Korean cities and Singapore also make them very manageable markets to enter.""

""Chipotle operates 3,800 restaurants in the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. It plans to open as many as 345 new restaurants this year, with a long-term target of operating 7,000 locations in the US and Canada, according to a press release about the expansion. The new Chipotle locations will compete directly with the Australian-owned fast-casual Mexican chain, Guzman y Gomez, which went public last year.""

Chipotle will open restaurants in Singapore and South Korea in 2026 through a partnership with South Korea’s SPC Group, marking the chain’s first entry into Asian markets. Both markets have large, fast-growing out-of-home dining cultures that prioritize real food and high consumer familiarity with American brands through education, travel, and social media. The new locations will closely mirror U.S. restaurants with open kitchens and the full core menu. Chipotle currently operates about 3,800 restaurants across several countries, plans up to 345 new openings this year, and targets 7,000 locations in the US and Canada long-term. New outlets will compete with Guzman y Gomez.

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