Newport Beach-based Chipotle Mexican Grill is opening a new restaurant concept called Farmesa with a menu that features bowls of protein, greens and grain.
The first location will have a soft open in the Kitchen United Mix food hall in Santa Monica at the Third Street Promenade.
“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’re excited to test and learn on before we determine a broader rollout strategy,” Chief Executive Brian Niccol said in a statement.
Chef Nate Appleman, the director of culinary innovation at Farmesa, curated the new menu and has previously worked on menu innovations for Chipotle.
Bowls will range from$11.95 to $16.95 featuring ingredients such as grilled tri-tip steak, Ora king salmon, whipped potatoes, golden beets, and cauliflower.
Chipotle is ranked No. 2 among the Business Journal’s top Orange County-based restaurant chains and on Feb. 7 reported 2022 sales of $8.6 billion. Shares were relatively unchanged at $1,651.81 apiece and a $38.5 billion market cap.
