Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) opened its first restaurant in Dubai on Wednesday in partnership with its first-ever franchise partner Alshaya Group.
The location spans over 6,000 square feet and marks the Newport Beach-based chain’s first restaurant in the United Arab Emirates. A second location is in the works at the Dubai Hills Mall with plans to open in the next few months.
Chipotle first announced its expansion to the Middle East with Alshaya in July 2023 and they started with a franchise restaurant at Kuwait’s largest shopping mall in April 2024.
“Alshaya has been a tremendous partner and continues to ensure our culinary and our purpose to cultivate a better world are clear points of differentiation for consumers as we enter these new regions,” Chief Business Development Officer Nate Lawton said in a statement.
The chain counts over 3,500 restaurants with only 47 international locations.
“The early results at the Chipotle restaurants in Kuwait have exceeded our expectations, making it one of the top performing brands in our portfolio, and we are more confident than ever that the fast-casual concept has immense growth potential in the Middle East,” Alshaya Chief Executive John Hadden said.
Chipotle is Orange County’s second-largest restaurant chain by sales and is currently valued at $78.5 billion.