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A deep dive into Chipotle’s launch in the Middle East

Campaign Middle East speaks with Alshaya's CEO John Hadden to understand the strategy behind Chipotle's launch in the Middle East.

chipotle's launch
Chipotle’s launch in Dubai. From left: John Hadden, CEO, Al Shaya; Chief Business Development Officer Nate Lawton; Shahram Shamsaee, Chief Executive Officer, Merex Investment.

On Wednesday, 2 October, Chipotle opened its doors in Dubai with the launch of its first store in the UAE at The Beach in Jumeirah Beach Residences (JBR).

The American Mexican-grill fast food chain partnered with international franchise retail operator Alshaya Group, and Merex Investment, a joint venture between Dubai Holding and Brookfield Asset Management, to bring the brand to the UAE.

Alshaya first introduced the brand to the region in Kuwait this past April, opening two stores—one at The Avenues, Kuwait’s largest mall, and another at The Walk Mall in Ardiya. The move to Dubai is the brand’s latest step in its global growth.

To hit the sweet spot of meeting customer expectations, Alshaya focused on curating a Chipotle experience that would resonate with the average diner in the region.

“We worked hard to ensure the quality and taste mirror what diners expect in America,” said John Hadden, CEO of Alshaya Group, “but we’ve made certain adaptations to align with customer preferences here.”

Alshaya also wanted to leverage the store’s location at JBR to roll-out the marketing of Chipotle’s launch. “Everyone knows JBR, and the brand awareness of Chipotle in Dubai has made the job of marketing really easy,” Hadden said.

Chipotle's launch
Chipotle’s launch in Dubai on Wednesday, 2 October.

The launch day proved Hadden right. Eager customers lined up for their first taste of Chipotle in Dubai, with many documenting the experience on their phones, generating precisely the kind of user-generated content Alshaya had hoped would fuel the brand’s momentum. “We’ve focused our efforts on social media, and we’re relying on customers to share their great experiences—whether it’s the food, the location, or the brand itself,” Hadden explained.

He also explained that Alshaya doesn’t have any plans in place at the moment to roll-out a strategically focused social media marketing plan that would look at audience segmentation and targeted influencer strategies. “At the moment, we’re just building the brand and the most important thing is to replicate the best things about the brand,” Hadden explained, saying that ‘the location, the food and the service’ is what they want to shine through at these initial stages.

The group’s focus on social media comes from its understanding that the essential Chipotle customer “is definitely skewed to the younger generation,” according to Hadden, who supposes the brand’s popularity within this demographic comes from the ‘healthy aspect’ Chipotle offers, and its ‘value for money.’

At the heart of Chipotle’s global brand is its “For Real” ethos—a commitment to freshly sourced ingredients and a personalised service experience. This remains unchanged in Dubai, where diners can still move down the service line, watching their meal come together in front of them and interacting directly with staff. “It’s about real people taking care of you, and we’re committed to bringing that experience to this region,” Hadden emphasised.

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Chipotle’s staff attend to guests as they build their orders.

Understanding the nuances of regional consumer behavior has been key to Chipotle’s launch. Alshaya recognised that the typical Middle Eastern diner values a more leisurely dining experience compared to the grab-and-go culture prevalent in Chipotle’s Western outlets.

“Restaurant design is more important in this part of the world, than I think anywhere else, and people expect quality here as well,” Hadden said.

To accommodate this, the Dubai store features a design that encourages diners to linger, offering both indoor and outdoor seating, with padded chairs and various seating arrangements tailored to different dining ‘vibes.’

Unlike other Alshaya-operated brands, which tend to cater to a to-go model, Chipotle in the Middle East is envisioned as a dine-in experience, where customers are invited to enjoy their meal within the restaurant.

Hadden continued with an explanation that ‘Chipotle’s average customer in the Middle East [would] want to consume their food inside the restaurant.’

Finally, Hadden said as the brand continues to grow – alluding to plans to launch on delivery platforms and the opening of new branches – Chipotle hopes to become a household name within communities in the region.