Five years and 15 locations later, Chipotle is giving up on its Southeast Asian spinoff ShopHouse.
In an earnings call yesterday, Chipotle founder and CEO Steve Ells said that ShopHouse “simply has not demonstrated the ability to support an attractive unit economic model.” The company will not invest further in developing or growing the brand.
Exactly what will happen to the existing locations of ShopHouse—which includes eight restaurants in the DC area—has yet to be determined. In the meantime, they’ll operate as usual.
“We are considering options for Shophouse. No decisions have been made,” says spokesperson Chris Arnold.
ShopHouse launched in Dupont Circle in 2011. In the years since, it has expanded to Illinois and California and made numerous menu tweaks along the way. Most recently, the chain introduced wraps after Georgetown students started showing up with their own tortillas.
Going forward, Chipotle will focus on two new brands: Pizzeria Locale and a burger concept called Tasty Made.
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
