Chipotle Is Launching A Mouthwatering New Menu Item

Chipotle launched a new chicken menu item that will leave your mouth watering.

By Joseph Farago | Published

This article is more than 2 years old

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Chipotle is known as a fast-food chain that’s always surprising its customer base. The restaurant is adding pollo asado to menus for its newest launch this coming week. Pollo asado will be available in Chipotles all around the United States and Canada.

The brand-new menu item will be made with grilled chicken, lime, garlic, cilantro, and guajillo peppers. Similar to the dish carne asada, Chipotle is putting a twist on this traditional fare by changing the protein. It’s the first in years for the restaurant to include a new chicken item. This is an intelligent move for Chipotle since chicken is the company’s top-selling protein nationwide.

Chief Marketing Officer Chris Brandt elaborated on chicken’s massive demand at the fast-food chain. He stated that loyal Chipotle customers order chicken a “majority of the time” and that it was the most popular protein choice amongst restaurant patrons. As a cheaper protein option, it’s no wonder that chicken is a favorite for a large portion of customers.

While the regular chicken option at Chipotle is one of the cheaper selections, the new pollo asado will be slightly more expensive. The initial price will be $9.11 in the United States, $0.65 more than the chicken adobo. Though the item is more costly, chicken has been noted as the most purchased protein, forecasting that the pollo asado will sell perfectly fine.

Chipotle made sure to test out the pollo asado before its release in 2022. In November of last year, certain chains in Sacramento and Cincinnati sold the new chicken option to receive customer feedback on the potential menu addition. The feedback was very positive, and the sales for the tested product matched the sales for Chipotle’s smoked brisket, the latest, high-selling new menu item. With this affirming information, Chipotle decided to move forward with including the pollo asado on national menus this month.

Though Chipotle restaurants are relatively ubiquitous in the United States, the company hit a little rough patch this past year. Shares for the restaurant dropped by 2% over the past 12 months, a minimal but concerning dip for the megachain. Even though cumulative sales for Chipotle have been substantial, many insecurities looming over the restaurant economy have made its shares drop in value. Investors worried about inflation and the interest rate hike have informed Chipotle’s share value, a common thread for restaurant chains nationwide.

Chipotle is one of many chains that had to change its business model during the pandemic. As a made-to-order restaurant with customers and employees face-to-face, operational changes had to be implemented to protect everyone’s safety. Chipotle quickly adapted to online-ordering operatives to minimize contact. Online orders promptly rose from 20% of all orders to 60%, ensuring that more burritos were made without customers being physically present.

Under CEO Brian Nicol, Chipotle is trying out new ways to surprise its customers and elevate its practice. With the recent addition of pollo asado, customers will enjoy new flavors from an old favorite. Head to a Chipotle anywhere in the United States or Canada to taste this delicious menu item.