Chipotle’s New Menu Looks a Lot Like Taco Bell | Eater
"Once best known for its burritos, the chain has faced major challenges — including a widespread E. coli outbreak that sickened hundreds between 2015 and 2017 — and is experimenting to win back customers. It recently unveiled five new items (a Mexican chocolate milkshake, a quesadilla, an avocado tostada, nachos, and a green salad) at its NYC test kitchen with plans to roll them out across its roughly 2,500 U.S. locations; this is the first time so many items have been introduced at once since the company’s founding in 1993. Earlier additions—like queso, which drew mixed reviews, and buñuelos with chocolate sauce, which was later removed after sluggish sales—underscore the scrutiny new offerings receive. Leadership and strategy changes under a new CEO with a rival-chain background (including a planned headquarters move to California and the addition of drive-thrus) have prompted comparisons to that competitor. Company R&D says the menu moves respond to consumer requests, that new equipment will speed production of quesadillas and nachos, and that it is reworking queso to be fresh and preservative-free while aiming for a nacho-cheese–like appeal." - Daniela Galarza
