Fast food chain with 20 sites in the UK abruptly closes high street branch
Share:
A FAST food chain with 20 UK sites has abruptly shut one of its high street restaurants. Chipotle closed its Watford High Street store in December. The Watford branch held a significant place in Chipotle's UK history as its first venture outside of London, opening in June 2022.
![[Chipotle's UK journey began in May 2010 with its first restaurant on London's Charing Cross Road]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2021-brooklyn-borough-new-york-705796980.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
While initially hailed as a milestone in the chain's expansion, the closure demonstrates the challenges of establishing a presence beyond the capital. Laurie Schalow, chief corporate affairs office at Chipotle, said: "As part of our ongoing operations, we reviewed the performance of our Watford restaurant and made the difficult decision to close the location.
"Our employees were offered opportunities at other Chipotle restaurants in the London area.". Chipotle is famed in the US for its burritos, burrito bowls, tacos, and salads. Specifically, their guacamole is often cited as a favourite, along with their pico de gallo, cheese, and fajita vegetables.
While they offer a variety of meats, chicken and steak are popular choices. Chipotle's UK journey began in May 2010 with its first restaurant on London's Charing Cross Road. Initial expansion was swift, with additional locations opening on Baker Street, Wardour Street, and St Martin's Lane by late 2011, and a fifth in Islington shortly after.
Growth then slowed considerably, with only two more London branches appearing by 2015. Despite the slower-than-expected growth, Chipotle maintained its commitment to the UK market. By 2022, the chain had grown to 12 restaurants, primarily in London, and had reaffirmed its intention to expand further, utilising a "stage gate" approach to test and learn from new openings.
