Recently, US’ Chick-fil-A and South Korea’s Lotteria announced their upcoming openings in Singapore.
Now, there’s another popular F&B brand to look forward to as US fast-casual chain Chipotle Mexican Grill announced that they have signed a joint venture to expand into Asia and will open their first outlets in Singapore as well as South Korea in 2026, the brand announced in a press release yesterday (Sept 10).
The venture is signed with South Korea-based global food company SPC Group, which is also responsible for bringing other international chains like Eggslut, Shake Shack and Paris Baguette to Singapore.
“Given the familiarity of this iconic brand among Koreans and Singaporeans, and their passion for exceptional culinary experiences, these two markets are ideal entry points for Chipotle in Asia,” said Hee-soo Hur, the executive vice president and owner of SPC group, in a statement.
SPC Group currently owns 30 brands and operates 7,000 stores internationally.
They are also recognised for introducing global brands to the Korean market, including Baskin Robbins, Dunkin’ Donuts, Pascucci, Lina’s, Jamba Juice and Shake Shack.
Chipotle is a US fast-casual chain famed for their casual Mexican cuisine.
And despite being a fast-casual restaurant, the brand markets themselves as one that serves responsibly sourced, classically cooked real food using ingredients without artificial colours, flavours or preservatives.
Founded in 1993, they have more than 3,800 outlets in the US, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Kuwait and UAE as of end-June 2025.
Scott Boatwright, CEO of Chipotle, said in a statement: “With a rapidly evolving dining-out business, fuelled by preferences for variety and convenience, expanding into Asia presents an incredible growth opportunity for Chipotle.”
Currently, other international Mexican fast-food chains already in Singapore include Guzman y Gomez from Australia. Taco Bell exited the country back in 2008.
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carol.ong@asiaone.com
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