Chipotle Mexican Grill is not a Mexican company: the U.S. "burrito giant," as the BBC puts it, has 4,100 outlets across the world but none in the country that inspired its menu. Osmond Chia reports that the first is coming soon, though, with Chipotle CEO Scott Boatwright announcing that they are "entering Meixco with deep respect for the country's culinary heritage."
It's a trial, close to the border, for a broader expansion south with Alsea, a Mexican restaurant operator that already operates Starbucks and Chili's there.
Like certain other things that have been offered at Chipotle, though, the news is not going down well.
"Bold move selling Mexico a corporate version of Mexico," a commenter on X said.
Another X post questioned why Mexicans would pay for Chipotle when they have "perfectly fine and healthy food available to them?"
"It's like Pizza Hut [opening a] location in Napoli, makes no sense," said another.
"Next up, Panda Express opening its first mainland China location," one post read, referring to the US chain that specialises in Chinese food.
Taco Bell has repeatedly tried and failed to expand into Mexico.
Back in the '90s, someone could purchase tacos and a beverage at one of Taco Bell's Mexican spots for about $3.25, yet a local vendor could offer the same thing for about half that price. Additionally, residents had no idea what some of the American-influenced food items were, such as a hard-shell taco, since it was not authentic to the region. The company even tried re-naming it the "Tacostada," but regardless, it never caught on, and all Taco Bell locations in Mexico closed by 1994.
Taco Bell tried to launch in Mexico again in 2007, where it embraced a new angle. Instead of competing with local taquerias, it tapped into its identity as an American establishment, selling french fries and soft-serve ice cream at a location in Monterrey. Nevertheless, this new spin flopped too.
Did you know that Dominos Pizza tried to expand into Italy? It failed, too.
Domino's had struggled to win over customers in the birthplace of pizza since launching there in 2015. News of the fast food giant's exit from the country was celebrated by some social media users. EPizza SpA first filed for bankruptcy in early April after it was impacted by coronavirus restrictions.
