Chipotle to launch Farmesa Fresh Eatery as its spin-off restaurant

Chipotle Mexican Grill announced the launching of its new spinoff which has been named the Farmesa Fresh Eatery. It will open in California at the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica and store hours will be limited for its soft opening this month.

Chipotle Mexican Grill teamed up with ghost kitchen firm, Kitchen United Mix, to introduce Farmesa Fresh Eatery which it expects to help the company test and learn new things for its future restaurant concepts. This will mostly serve healthy food options with fresh ingredients and the menu served in bowls.

The restaurant chain told FOX Business that its spinoff store is officially rolling out in March. Before this, it will conduct a soft opening with limited store hours only.

Customers will be able to get their orders via pick up or delivery arrangement at Kitchen United Mix space at the Third Street Promenade. Deliveries are done via delivery apps such as DoorDash and Uber Eats.

The Farmesa is Chipotle’s first spin-off under the leadership of chairman and chief executive officer, Brian Niccol. He said this is a strategic move with the goal of creating or investing in emerging culinary spaces and restaurant concepts that suits the brand’s kind of food.

Since the new spinoff restaurant promises to serve fresh ingredients, its menu line features lots of greens, proteins, and grains inspired by the chain’s “Food with Integrity” standards. Farmesa will also serve 100% certified organic, non-GMO and all-natural beverages that will be supplied by Tractor Beverage Co.

"One of our strategic objectives is to create or invest in emerging culinary spaces and restaurant concepts that fit within Chipotle's food with integrity mission and make fresh food daily," CEO Niccol said in a press release. "Our New Ventures team, which was created in 2022, developed a unique restaurant concept that uses classic culinary techniques with flavorful ingredients in a fast-casual setting that we are excited to test and learn on before we determine a broader rollout strategy."

Chipotle’s vice president of new ventures, Nate Lawton, further said, "Launching Farmesa in the Kitchen United Mix food hall in Santa Monica and partnering with third-party partners for pickup or delivery will allow us to reach a large number of consumers, learn quickly, and evolve our concept and menu so that we can deliver on our goals before expanding.”