America’s fast-casual restaurant, Chipotle Mexican Grill, has been around since 1993 and is beloved worldwide. After 33 years of success, the company has partnered with SPC Group to officially expand into the Asia-Pacific region, with its first location opening in Seoul, South Korea, on Sept. 1, 2026.

In January 2026, SPC Group launched Sangmidang Holdings, which serves as a holding company that handles legal advisory, investment, government relations and PR. A joint venture named S&C Restaurants Holding was created to help with the launch of Chipotle in South Korea.

Chipotle CEO Scott Boatwright described the partnership with SPC with confidence due to the company’s successful history in the Korean market and its ability to introduce global brands to Korean consumers.

“South Korea, in particular, is an ideal market to introduce Chipotle to the region, and we see tremendous potential to grow from here,” he said.

Chipotle’s first location in Gangnam Station has the perfect atmosphere due to its easy main road access, making this a hot spot in Seoul.

Gangnam, which translates to “South of the River,” is one of the most expensive neighborhoods in Seoul, known for its skyscrapers, shopping malls and foreign brands.

Vice President and Chief Visionary Officer of Sangmidang Holdings, Hur Hee-soo, has welcomed this new partnership with excitement due to the correlation between Chipotle’s brand philosophy and Korean customers: giving customers the experience of a great-tasting meal with high-quality service at an affordable price.

Boatwright expressed that Korea represented an ideal market due to consumers’ high interest in quality ingredients, one of Chipotle’s competitive advantages.

Chipotle is also known to have a brand philosophy of “real food, sustainability, ethical sourcing, and challenging fast food,” which SPC plans to uphold.

However, in order to balance its brand identity with growth ambitions, Chipotle needs to remain cautious when sourcing ingredients and designing its menu.

“The menu, preparation and ordering process match the US operation exactly, with ingredients prepared and menu items assembled fresh each morning at every location,” said No Kyung-min, a journalist for the Korea Herald.

Chipotle plans to open two more restaurants in South Korea later this year.

South Korea isn’t the only global market where Chipotle has ambitions. The company is planning to open its first restaurant in Singapore in 2027 and recently expanded to Mexico.

“As we scale across Asia, we will remain focused on what has always differentiated Chipotle—a delicious, customizable meal at a value you can’t find anywhere else,” Boatwright said.