Chipotle opening more drive-thru restaurants in Florida — but they work differently
Chipotle is opening more restaurants in Florida with drive-thru lanes.
The fast-food Mexican chain has opened more than 500 of the so-called “Chipotlane” restaurants as of 2022, including several in South Florida.
The newest to open is on Florida’s Gulf Coast, in Bradenton.
“Chipotlanes are the digital drive thru of the future and a key piece of our growth strategy as we plan to more than double our restaurant count over the long term to achieve 7,000 restaurants or more in North America,” the company has announced.
Here’s what to know about the company’s drive-thru service:
Can you order in a Chipotlane?
▪ Customers who use Chipotle’s drive-thru Chipotlane must pre-order on the chain’s app or website.
▪ The lanes don’t have a speaker and cannot take on-the-spot orders.
▪ Chipotlanes are for customers who have pre-ordered and want to avoid going inside the restaurant to pick up their food. That means no parking or running through the rain or sweating from the humidity. But it could mean waiting in your car until it’s your turn.
Where is the newest Chipotle drive-thru?
The newest Florida Chipotlane was scheduled to open 10:45 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 5002 Cortez Road W. in Bradenton. The location was previously a Boston Market.
Chipotle also has drive-thru locations in the Tampa area and in Broward, including Margate, and in Palm Beach County. The first Chipotle in Florida opened in 1029 in Jacksonville.
What’s on the menu?
The drive-thru locations offer the menu available for online orders, including burritos, bowls, tacos, salads, chips and sides, and beverages and more.
Steve Ells founded Chipotle, which is headquartered in Newport Beach, California, in 1993. The first Chipotle opened in Denver, Colorado.
This story was originally published November 20, 2024 at 11:50 AM.
