Chipotle launches its 3,000th store in Phoenix

Chipotle, the American chain of Mexican Grill casual restaurants specializing in tacos and burritos, has reached a new milestone when it opened its 3,000th branch this month. On Tuesday, Feb. 15, the restaurant revealed it would virtually ring "The Opening Bell" at the New York Stock Exchange to mark the monumental store inauguration.

While opening its 3000th Chipotle location is already a very big accomplishment, it was revealed that the company is still planning to build more, and they are now halfway through reaching the goal. It was said that the fast-casual restaurant chain is still planning to set up 4,000 more stores throughout the coming years.

As per CNN Business, it was last week when Chipotle's chief executive officer, Brian Niccol, shared how the company increased its ambitions to expand further after building its 3000th outlet. Chipotle Mexican Grill's newest branch is located in Arizona, Phoenix, at 3185 E. Bell Road.

The store has a digital order drive-thru lane where orders could be picked up, and this feature has been called the Chipotlane. It was in 2018 when Chipotle first introduced its Chipotlanes and they were built to offer more convenience to customers especially those from rural areas who drive far to reach a Chipotle restaurant.

In any case, Niccol previously said during a conference with analysts that they now believe that they can operate at least 7,000 Chipotle outlets in North America. He said that their previous aim was only 6,000.

"This achievement is a testament to our phenomenal teams and their relentless pursuit of bringing Food with Integrity to more communities," Chipotle chairman and chief executive officer, Brian Niccol, said in a press release. "We are thrilled to celebrate our 3,000th restaurant opening, and the progress we've made towards our goal of having 7,000 restaurants or more in North America."

Finally, the restaurant's chief financial officer, Jack Hartung, further said, "Our phenomenal teams have demonstrated their abilities to deliver against our aggressive expansion strategies and we are well-positioned to drive sustainable long-term growth and I am optimistic that we will achieve our goals."