Go Get Your Burrito — Chipotle Is Not Actually Closing All Its Locations
Chipotle is not closing, despite what you might have heard online.
Published March 26 2025, 1:08 p.m. ET
Fast-casual Mexican food will live to fight another day. Following rumors that Chipotle had filed for bankruptcy and was set to close its doors, many wondered whether there was some truth to the rumors that the chain had gone under.
After the rumors continued to spread around the internet, many became convinced that the chain really was closing up shop. Here's what we know about whether that's the case.
Is Chipotle really closing?
Despite what you may have read, Chipotle is not going anywhere. The online rumors that it was closing appear to have started after Unión Rayo published a report about Farmesa Fresh Eatery, a spin-off venture that the company experimented with for just a few months in 2023. The promotional image for the story showed the Chipotle logo, which is how the confusion started.
After the news broke, some on social media began voicing their frustration that the chai they loved would disappear.
"I'm still confused on how Chipotle is going bankrupt," one person wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
"Chipotle sold too many free burritos on Roblox, now they bankrupt," another person added.
"If Chipotle go out of business before Arby’s do, I’m gonna start burning s--t fr," a third wrote.
Thankfully, Chipotle is not actually going anywhere, and rumors that it was closing seem to have been spun up out of almost nothing.
Erin Wolford, a spokesperson for the company, made it crystal clear, saying that the rumors were "false information stemmed from an inaccurate online article confusing Chipotle with a venture it tested in 2023," per USA Today.
Chipotle also asked for a retraction from the original publication and has since received an apology for the "false article."
What was the article actually about?
While the article was not correct that Chipotle had closed its doors, it was instead referring to Farmesa Fresh Eatery, a spin-off of the Chipotle brand that operated in the Santa Monica Food Hall for a few months in 2023. At the time, Chipotle said that the restaurant was "a fresh, bold concept featuring delicious proteins, greens, grains and vegetables that are inspired by Chipotle's Food with Integrity standards," according to a news release.
The venture obviously wasn't a tremendous success, which is why it's no longer open.
Chipotle, meanwhile, is actually opening more locations, not closing its doors.
"We anticipate opening between 315 to 345 new restaurants this year with at least 80 percent including a (digital drive-thru) Chipotlane," the spokesperson told USA Today. It seems, based on the company's most recent financials, that Chipotle is actually doing quite well as a business.
If you're concerned about the future of the store, it seems like you probably don't need to be. Chipotle might not be around forever, but there's very little actual indication that they're currently in trouble. It just goes to show you that you can't believe everything you read on the internet. You should always wait for official reporting, especially when a story is as big as this one.