Chipotle Mexican Grill has announced that they are adding a new ingredient to their menu—smoked brisket. However, this option will only be available for a limited time.
Two Years In The Making
According to CNBC, this latest menu option from Chipotle has been in the works for two years. Before rolling it out nationwide, the company did a test run in both Cincinnati and Sacramento.
When they began this offering in Cincinnati and Sacramento, it was only available to customers signed up on the chain’s loyalty program.
Then, they made the smoked brisket available to everyone in those areas ordering who were ordering from the Chipotle app or website. Finally, they added the option on third-party delivery apps like DoorDash.
Now, anyone who orders Chipotle either online or in one of the restaurants located throughout the United States and Canada, not in just Cincinnati and Sacramento, can choose the smoked brisket.
According to Chipotle chief marketing officer Chris Brandt, the brisket performed “extraordinarily well” during its test run.
It’s Delicious, But Limited
Chipotle’s new smoked brisket is made by smoking beef until it’s tender. Then, they char it on the grill and season it with Mexican spices before topping it off with a smoky chili pepper sauce.
Despite the initial success of adding smoked brisket to their menu, Chipotle doesn’t have plans to keep it around forever. In fact, it will probably be gone by the end of the year. This is because the pandemic has wreaked havoc on restaurant supply chains, and Chipotle has some of the strictest supply chain standards in the restaurant industry.
“It is really hard to find high quality responsibly raised beef in large quantities that we need. But the good news is we’ve been successful. … It should run somewhere into November or December, depending on how things go,” Brandt said.
We recommend trying it while you can. So don’t walk, but run to your nearest Chipotle.