Chipotle lands in Seoul, begins Asian expansion

Chipotle Mexican Grill will open its first restaurant in Asia in Seoul on Wednesday, marking the U.S. fast-casual chain’s first expansion into the region since its founding in Denver in 1993. The restaurant, located near Gangnam Station, one of Seoul’s major hot spots, faces a main road for easy access. It has 96 seats, an open kitchen and a counter where customers can order and customize their meals, including bowls, burritos, tacos and salads. A crew of culinary experts from Chipotle’s headquarters was inside the kitchen of the new restaurant on Tuesday, helping locally hired workers become familiar with kitchen operations. According to a restaurant employee, the crew travels to all newly opened Chipotle restaurants worldwide to train local workers. Chipotle CEO Scott Boatwright said Korea was an ideal market to begin the company’s Asian expansion because of local consumers’ growing interest in quality ingredients and the country’s ability to generate global market trends. “We know that Korea is a very sophisticated market with very dynamic consumers who care deeply about