Fast casual restaurant chain Chipotle announced it is opening a new restaurant concept in Santa Monica, California, focused on healthy foods that include proteins, greens, grains and vegetables.
The concept will help Chipotle test new restaurant concepts, the chain said.
Farmesa will serve a variety of bowls for between $11.95 and $16.95 each. Dishes will include Classic Santa Maria-Style Grilled Tri-Tip Steak, Everything Spice-Crusted Ora King Salmon, Whipped Potatoes, Golden Beets, Sprouted Cauliflower, and Sweet Potato Chips, Chipotle said.
"One of our strategic objectives is to create or invest in emerging culinary spaces and restaurant concepts that fit within Chipotle's food with integrity mission and make fresh food daily," said Brian Niccol, Chipotle chairman and CEO. "Our New Ventures team, which was created in 2022, developed a unique restaurant concept that uses classic culinary techniques with flavorful ingredients in a fast-casual setting that we're excited to test and learn on before we determine a broader rollout strategy."
The chain said the menu will be limited at first as the restaurant learns various cooking techniques.
Farmesa will largely rely on kiosks and third-party delivery apps for ordering.
"Launching Farmesa in the Kitchen United Mix food hall in Santa Monica and partnering with third-party partners for pickup or delivery will allow us to reach a large number of consumers, learn quickly, and evolve our concept and menu so that we can deliver on our goals before expanding," said Nate Lawton, vice president of new ventures at Chipotle. "We believe there's an opportunity to serve premium, craveable food every day and we're eager to bring this new concept to life."
