Why Doesn't Chipotle Have Queso On The Menu?
With any luck, it'll later make an appearance near you
This week, Chipotle's CEO unveiled the company's brand-new test kitchen in New York named Chipotle NEXT Kitchen, where, more importantly, it will roll out what's bound to be the chain's most-requested item ever: queso dip.
"All of our competitors sell queso, and we know some customers don't come to Chipotle because we don't offer it," Steve Ells, the chain's CEO, mentions in the memo. The reason why it's taken so long for Chipotle to offer it? Their refusal to use preservatives and any other additives mean it's taken a while to make a smooth, cheesy dip that meets their standards, Eater reports.
Besides dipping an endless amount of lime-flavored chips and smothering their burritos in cheese (no word if it will cost extra like its brethren, guacamole), visitors to Chipotle NEXT Kitchen can sample all the other innovations being road tested, including frozen margaritas and new digital menus.
Before you get too excited though, the only chance you'll see queso dip pop up at your local Chipotle—even if local means 45 minutes away—is if it proves to be an incredibly popular option in the NYC test restaurant; afterward, it will slowly roll out to several markets over the course of time.