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Chipotle Mexican Grill coming to Kuwait

I don’t really have that much information on this other than a friend of mine accidentally revealing to me in a conversation that a friend of theirs is getting Chipotle to Kuwait. I couldn’t dig out any more information so take this news with a grain of salt. Chipotle if you aren’t aware is a chain of restaurants specializing in burritos and tacos. I’ve personally never tried it before but everyone who has says they’re ridiculously good. If I find out anything more I’ll let you know.

65 replies on “Chipotle Mexican Grill coming to Kuwait”

If it’s anything like the States, the chicken burritos are great (chicken, sour cream, rice, beans, your choice of salsa, cheese, veggies) but they might also have the open bowl or whatever, which is basically a burrito in the form of a salad, pretty great as well.

Mind you, it’s like the best fast food Mexican restaurant I’ve tried (as opposed to sit down restaurants or small Mexican spots), so expect something within that margin of quality.

Chipotle is not franchise owned, they are all company owned. Therefore the only way they can make it to Kuwait is if the company chooses to open one in Kuwait. Their first outside of North America restaurants was in London.

A better fast food Mexican eatery compared to Taco Bell. Nothing particularly satisfying compared to a good Mexican restaurant in the U.S., but Kuwait is devoid of that. I’ll eat there since I love Mexican food.

I don’t think that is entirely true to be honest. Their business model is based on the fact that they source their ingredients locally (around their restaurant’s geographic location), and make an active role in getting it organic too. Kuwait would not be an ideal place for getting these ingredients – and importing them would drive up their already premium prices. I would be really surprised if this turns out to be true though, and very pleased by it too!

“But right now, the only locally sourced ingredients at Chipotle are onions, avocados, peppers, tomatoes, jalapenos, and cilantro—all of which are mixed with nonlocal items to produce the items you see on the menu. “

Chipotle is owned by McDonalds so if they were to come to Kuwait they would probably enter the market with the McDonalds franchisee not just with anyone who approached them…

Actually, McDonald’s does not own Chipotle. They were an original investor but divested when Chipotle went public 7 years ago.

There is a popular misconception that Chipotle restaurants are owned by McDonalds. While they were once an investor in our company, they divested in 2006 and our company went public on the New York Stock Exchange that year.
Source: Chipotle

En Mexico has such a small menue, but still haven’t tried it yet. Azteca’s menu has a large varitey, plus it offers breakfast. Their bowl of tortilla soup is off the chain! Lita’s product quality has degraded rapidly. I don’t what they are thinking using a chips and salsa bowl as a nacho plate? And no taste compared to when it was open the first time around.

En Mexico and Azteca are both really good. Makes me sad when people say “We don’t have mexican food” then think Chipotle is the answer lol

Azteca is over priced and not the same as the food served in California, when I asked the chef why, he gave me some answer about him being from a different part of Mexico where they use different cooking like white rice with black beans, instead of red Mexican rice. I haven’t tried En Mexico, it’s in Jabriya right? I was lucky enough to be invited by my Mexican friend who is married to a Kuwaiti, she had a Latina gathering with some OG Mexican food and she makes the most amazing tres leches dessert!

There are a lot of Latina women married to Kuwaitis, I’m just waiting to be invited for dinner by some of them lol

Californians always cling onto the “mexican food is best in California.” I’ve been to socal, san diego, and LA and had mexican food at well known, highly rated by yelp and zagat, restaurants and I found not a single thing special with mexican food in California compared to mexican food in other states. It all depends on where you go, whether it be in California or any other state.

I know you’re from California and have probably eaten great Mexican food there but the food that you had there is not indicative of all Mexican food. Mexico has many regions and the same dish might be prepared different or be called something different in another region of Mexico. For example, Menudo. Menudo where my family is from is prepared with hominy, beef tripe, and is white in color. In most northeastern states of Mexico, and I’m sure in other states as well , it is red in color.

The owner and the chef of Azteca are from a southern state in Mexico and most of their dishes are very different, one being their beans are black while in other parts of Mexico they use pinto beans or others. I know a great lady who is Mexican, married to a Kuwaiti, that make great Mexican food made to order when my wife doesn’t feel like cooking we order some food from her.

i call BS in the US the wont open a chipotle unless you work there, the only way to open a branch in the US one has to have worked in the restaurant and climb the chain of command to become a manager of a branch, then leading you to the possibility that the company might allow you to open up a branch in an area of your choosing, each branch has its “owner” (employee that has previously worked in chipotle) thats how most of the branches of chipotle in the US maintain there standards, so unless somebody has worked there for awhile its not as easy as opening up a fast food joint, also the main idea behind chipotle’s food is where it comes from and how its made, chipotle maintains a standard and i highly doubt it will open in kuwait

Not necessarily Mark, you have to understand that chipotle can not be considered a fast food joint compared to McDonald’s and burger king and Wendy’s, you have to also realize that it is a restaurant not available everywhere making it more in demand making the company to attempt to maintain a standard which you obviously you don’t know about chipotle , yes it might seem like any other big fast food chain but it’s not, I am not saying it won’t come but it’s not as easy as any other restaurant it has a standard it’s not taco bell

I never compared it to McDonalds. But l did say that Shake Shack, Pinkberry, Katsuya and Cheesecake Factory were 4 brands that were exclusively available in the US and they opened up shop in Kuwait. Not only that but Shake Shack for example was just in New York with like two locations and they expanded to Kuwait before expanding outside of New York.

Majority of the restaurants in Kuwait import their food, hell Shake Shack imports their buns from the States so Chipotle who really isn’t a fine dining restaurant with high standards like Katsuya shouldn’t have a problem maintaining their standards in Kuwait.

But speaking of maintaining standards, the reason I didn’t end up eating at Chipotle the last time I was in London was because everyone told me it sucked compared to the States. A commenter above also mentioned to stay away from the London one so it doesn’t look like they’re maintaining their standard in non US markets.

Ok those restaurants made it to Kuwait but the chipotle chains policy unlike the restaurants you named don’t require specific rules to open up a brand.. why would corporate America limit itself in its on country, chipotles policy requires a specific stabdard, thus not making it having a better standard than those. Chipotle policy requires that if you want to open up a branch one has to have worked in the chain itself climb the chain of command then you might be able to open a branch in your state, so tell me Mark why would they not make exceptions in “corporate America” but make an exception in Kuwait were they would barely make any profit, mark buddy chipotle is maintaining a standard which you cant understand, It doesn’t necessarily mean it has a higher standard then those places you’ve named but it has a specific standard. Chipotle is restaurant that can compare to shack shack, yes we can get everything shipped to Kuwait but the main idea about chipotle is how the food is done.. still not saying that it’s impossible but it’s pretty darn hard

So you’re saying the locations that are open in London are opened by previous US employees of Chipotle? Say that is the case isn’t it possible then a previous employee of Chipotle wants to open it in Kuwait with Kuwaiti partners?

I also don’t understand what you mean by they would barely make any profit in Kuwait. Could you be a bit more specific with this since I find it hard to believe everyone else seems to be making a shit load of money in Kuwait in the food business including locally created chains yet a popular brand like Chipotle would not make money in Kuwait.

Of course I’m not even sure they are opening in Kuwait but I just find it hard to understand how you seem to think it’s very hard for Chipotle to open even though Cheesecake Factory, Sprinkles, Shake Shack, Pinkberry, PF Changs, Katsuya and whatever else was able to open in Kuwait.

You don’t understand that the fact that this restaurant, fancy or not doesn’t randomly open in and area, it’s in demand in the US, not in demand in kuwait, it’s hard to open and maintain a branch in the US why would a restaurant risk ruining there name there brand for money not everybody is greedy do you have any idea about the branch of chipotle? It’s owner? He’s an entrepreneur who is admired by his work ethics towards his branch also how funny is it that you are rating a branch by a friends opinion didn’t you get sued for having a bad meal at benihana for one bad experience, a bad day doesn’t mean it’s a bad branch, I must say you’ve had bad post doesn’t mean your a bad blogger, your friend having a bad experience in the London chipotle branch doesn’t mean it’s bad I have had both

Chipotle have around 1,400 restaurants in the US and they’re probably reaching a point of saturation which is why they’re expanding into Europe with branches located in London and Paris.

So they’re obviously thinking of future growth and expansion so why would you think they aren’t interested in expanding in the GCC where we have the highest purchasing power?

Why would you think by opening in the GCC they would risk ruining their name?

You’ve also dodged my point on the fact that other restaurants that were exclusive in the US and who also care about their brand opened up in Kuwait.

“Ok those restaurants made it to Kuwait but the chipotle chains policy unlike the restaurants you named don’t require specific rules to open up a brand.”

How do you know? Have you worked with them? I have and there is definitely a very restrictive ruleset

Sorry man. Money rules when it comes to business. Chipolte is not special and I find it to be exactly like McDonalds but they serve buritos and nachoes instead of burgers and fries. And I’m not talking out of my ass, I’ve been to Chiptole in the U.S. more than four times. They’re businesses and they want to make money. None of that marketing gimmicky stuff matters when theres a potential for huge profits. Just look at Shake Shack, Cheesecake Factory, and Katsuya. That is way more than enough evidence proving fast food restaurants will come if there is potential for profits.

It’s not Taco Bell, but it’s no traditional Mexican restaurant either (or even an Abuelo’s). It’s still fast food.

Source: been there many times.

Lol Kuwait needs to step up a notch and stop the fast food fantasies. We got WAY too many food chains, why the hell do we keep needing more?! There seems to be a lack of healthy restaurants to go to. I feel limited in my options. Thai restaurants don’t exist, authentic Vietnamese food, organic restaurants etc.

All we’re getting today is garbage food chains that people consider good, judging by taste not healthiness. We can’t judge everything by how good it is, people need to start to think about what they’re putting in their bodies.

And also, where is the MoH role in this? There seems to be no control on food chains these days (or ever?. unsure). With the significant increase in obesity rates and currently at a peak, MoH has to step in. Add more organic food to markets, ban HgH (growth hormone) products, ban genetically-modified foods. I don’t think I have even seen any organic milk in any co-op markets (not including Sultan Center and others).

Thai: Oriental Cuisine, and a bunch of places in Kuwait City are authentic Thai food cooked by Thai people. Ubon if you want fancy kuwaitized thai food

You seem to think Organic is code for Miracle Medicine Food and GMO is poison, please don’t force your dumb ideas on me

Chichi, you also took my remark about how its fun to argue with a stranger online wrong. Maybe argue was the wrong word and I should have used the word discussion instead but I actually do find this interesting and educational and didn’t in any way mean to offend you.

Whether argue, discuss, debate, address – this is the new social media of communication and mostly important to address the point rather the person.

Whe ever is interested! Why don’t you make it easy – Here, read the facts. I ate it once 3 years ago chicken burrito and since I became vegetarian before I judge this owner seeing him a lot on Food TV years ago to know the truth, it is good for single people or lazy cook, big portions and personally I consider it a junk food for the foodies and best for McDonald eaters. Again it is just a personal opinion as I try to eat any food that doesn’t involve with GMO/Monsanto strictly 90% organic…

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chipotle_Mexican_Grill

Chipotle Story – How it All Started

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmH73Diqf5Q&list=PLE2B3527B17928112

I live next to a Chipotle and I promise you there is nothing life changing about the burritos they serve. The reason they stand out is because their burritos are big and the rice has cilantro mixed in with a load of butter. The meat they use is apparently organic but hell who cares other than the hipsters. Their major competition has been Moes for a long time, Moes is just awful, but compared to other local stores they aren’t something I would lose sleep over. Overall, Chipotle is okay on the palet provided your eating it once every 15 days or so.

(1) Their rice isn’t mixed in with a load of butter, it’s mostly soybean oil (but it is rather excessive at 4g fat and 32gb carbs). (2) They never stress that their meat is organic, instead “free of hormones” and that they try to go organic wherever possible in terms of other ingredients. I do agree, however, that the palet is limited.

Ah man, I really hope this is true. I hate Taco Bell and Lita’s was a big disappointment, but Chipotle is the chain I mostly miss from the States!

No its not coming to Kuwait, they have purchased back the name from Macdonald’s and currently they fully own and operate their 1,600 location.

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