Chipotle Just Added This New Menu Item for a Limited Time

It's always major news when innovation hits the Chipotle menu. The chain has become known for infrequent but top-notch menu additions that quickly win over customers. That's certainly what the company is aiming for with the smoked brisket, its newest item which is currently being offered at select locations for a limited time.

And whether or not the brisket is coming to a Chipotle restaurant near you will be decided by its popularity. The new protein is being tested at 64 Chipotle restaurants in two distinctly disparate market areas: Sacramento, Calif. and Cincinnati, Ohio. (Related: McDonald's Is Making These 8 Major Upgrades.)

If sales go well in those two cities, the new option will expand to other markets and may eventually become a permanent option alongside Chipotle's other menu staples: chicken, steak, barbacoa, carnitas, and carne asada, which is itself in an expanded testing phase.

In addition to the the new meat, Chipotle has been testing several other new products this year. Over the summer, they added cauliflower rice to the menu in some parts of Colorado and Wisconsin. The plant-based lime- and cilantro-flavored "rice" has yet to see significant expansion, though it was well-received by customers in the test markets.

Similarly, the much-beloved quesadillas are currently being tested via digital orders, but Chipotle hasn't yet added them to its locations nationwide. Instead, they are only available in Cleveland and Indianapolis.

The restaurant has not only weathered the year but has thrived largely thanks to a shift in customer practices: some 50% of Chipotle's sales in the third quarter took place online or through the mobile app.

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