On Tuesday, Chipotle Mexican Grill unveiled a new all-electric restaurant layout that is expected to help the company reach its 2030 target of halving greenhouse gas emissions.
Over the course of the following year, more than 100 of the burrito chain’s new locations will make use of all-electric equipment and some other new features. Chipotle has already established operations in Jacksonville, Florida and Gloucester, Virginia. This summer, a third restaurant will open in Castle Rock, Colorado.
The new layout also features cactus leather chairs, recycled corn husk art, biodegradable food and drink packaging, smaller cooking lines, improved extractor hoods, and heat pump water heaters in addition to switching from gas to electricity. When feasible, some locations will have electric vehicle charging stations and rooftop solar panels.
Chipotle isn’t the only restaurant chain trying to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at its restaurants. Salad chain Sweetgreen started last year to highlight menu items with a lower carbon footprint. In 2021, McDonald’s opened a location at Disney World that generates enough renewable energy on-site to power the restaurant. And a year earlier, its arch-rival, Restaurant Brands International’s Burger King, unveiled a new restaurant design using solar panels.
“With our aggressive development goal in North America, we are committed to reducing the environmental impact of our restaurants,” said Laurie Schalow, Chipotle’s chief corporate affairs officer, in a statement.
