Chipotle Plans Expansion to South Korea, Singapore

Chipotle Mexican Grill will expand to Asia for the first time after signing a joint venture with food company SPC Group to open restaurants in South Korea and Singapore in 2026. 

“With a rapidly evolving dining-out business, fueled by preferences for variety and convenience, expanding into Asia presents an incredible growth opportunity for Chipotle,” Chief Executive Scott Boatwright said in a statement. “Real food prepared fast is in high demand in these markets and with notable brand awareness among consumers, we see potential for strong adoption out of the gate.” 

South Korea-based SPC Group owns 30 food and beverage brands and operates 7,000 stores worldwide, including Paris Baguette, Paris Croissant and Passion 5.  

“These two markets are ideal entry points for Chipotle in Asia,” SPC’s Owner and Executive Vice President Heesoo Hur added. “In addition, we have a proven track record of developing global brands and we see an opportunity for leveraging our market expertise to introduce Chipotle’s delicious, responsibly sourced food to guests across the continent who aren’t yet familiar with the concept’s real ingredients prepared fresh daily.”  

SPC said it was also responsible for introducing chains such as Baskin-Robbins, Dunkin’, Jamba Juice and Shake Shack to the Korean market.

The joint venture marks Chipotle’s third international development agreement since 2023. The Newport Beach-based restaurant chain (NYSE: CMG) entered the Middle East market in 2024 and is set to debut in Mexico next year.  

Out of 3,800 total locations, Chipotle has over 60 international restaurants.