Chipotle Dropping ShopHouse, CEO Says

The company plans to focus on its other restaurants.

Chipotle will abandon its Thai chain ShopHouse to focus on its other fast-casual restaurants, the company said.

That means it will look for "strategic alternatives" to get out of its D.C.-area locations, including Bethesda, Silver Spring, Chinatown, Dupont Circle, Georgetown and Union Station. 

CEO Steve Ells said that the company will focus instead on its Chipotle restaurants, Pizzeria Locale pizza chain and Tasty Made burger chain, which will be opening soon.

"After operating in three diverse markets, we have determined ShopHouse hasn't demonstrated an attractive unit economic model," Ells said on an earnings call, CNBC reported.

Ells said the company will no longer be investing in Shophouse locations.

A Chipotle spokesman said no decisions have been made about what will happen to the current Shophouse locations. 

"We have impaired the asset value of Shophouse and are exploring strategic options," Chris Arnold said in an email. 

Contact Us