Chicken al Pastor quickly accounted for one in five transactions at Chipotle restaurants last year after it was first introduced.
Chipotle is bringing back its Chicken al Pastor offering today for a limited time across North America and Europe. The item was first introduced in March 2023 and quickly became one of the chain’s most successful product launches ever, accounting for about 20% of transactions.
Chicken al Pastor includes chicken, marinade made of morita peppers and ground achiote, a splash of pineapple and finished with lime and cilantro. During Chipotle’s most recent earnings call last month, CEO Brian Niccol said the item surpassed expectations and drove incremental traffic. In July, shortly after its initial launch, he said the then-new protein is “boosting transactions with a strong repeat and is attracting new customers.”
“It also delivered the highest positive social sentiment of any new menu introduction, and importantly, was simple for our teams to execute,” he added.
According to the company, Chicken al Pastor has received three times more requests for its return on social media than any other limited time offering. As a nod to fans’ affinity, the company is also making the most ordered Chicken al Pastor bowl from 2023 available on the app and online in the U.S. and Canada. The bowl includes white rice, black beans, tomato salsa, roasted chili corn salsa, cheese, and guacamole.
“About one in five transactions included Chicken al Pastor when it was featured on our menu last year,” chief brand officer Chris Brandt said in a statement. “Given the performance and the fans wanting its return so enthusiastically, we are thrilled to make this the fastest item to ever come back to Chipotle.”
To mark the item’s return, Chipotle is offering a $0 delivery fee from March 14 through March 24 on all Chicken al Pastor orders placed via the Chipotle app and online in the U.S. and Canada.
Contact Alicia Kelso at [email protected]
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