Chipotle to open sixth London restaurant

The new restaurant will open on the site of European restaurant 40 The Hill in Wimbledon, close to Wimbledon mainline train station in the first quarter of 2013 as part of 'measured growth' plans for the brand in the UK. 

It will be its sixth in the capital and its second outside central London. 

Speaking to Restaurant magazine earlier this year​, Jacob Sumner, responsible for overseeing Chipotle in the UK, said the company was planning to expand within the UK, but not at the same speed at which it has done in the US. 

He said: "I can understand why people might have been expecting us to open at a higher pace over here, but you learn from others that hyper-growth from the onset is very risky. We will build from the crew up."

Food with integrity​

The news comes as the operator, which prides itself for serving 'food with integrity', is nominates for a Good Chicken and Good Pig awards at Compassion in World Farming's Good Animal Welfare Awards. Chipotle only uses RSPCA Freedom Food certified poultry in its chicken dishes and meat from free-range pigs for its pork carnitas. 

Chipotle, overseen by Jacob Sumner in the UK, has opened three sites in London this year - at Wardour Street, St Martin's Lane and Islington. The company first arrived in the UK in 2010​, opening a site on Charing Cross Road. A second site followed at Baker Street in 2011. 

Rex Jones, executive director, international development at Chipotle Mexican Grill, said: "We are excited to be opening a sixth restaurant in London.  This will be our second restaurant, after Islington, outside of central London. Thanks to its location the restaurant will boast a large landscaped outdoor dining terrace.”