Chipotle opens 1,500th Chipotlane in Lakewood Ranch

Chipotle Mexican Grill opened its eighth Manatee County restaurant Sept. 29 at 16680 State Road 64 E. in Northchase Center, the Publix-anchored shopping center in Lakewood Ranch.

The Bradenton Herald first reported the opening.

1,500th Chipotlane opens in Lakewood Ranch

The new restaurant is Chipotle's 1,500th location equipped with a Chipotlane, the company's drive-thru pickup lane for customers who order and pay in advance through the Chipotle app or website.

Unlike a traditional drive-thru, a Chipotlane has no speaker box or menu board.

Chipotle introduced the concept in 2018, according to Nation's Restaurant News. Restaurants with Chipotlanes generate 15% to 20% higher sales than traditional Chipotle locations, the trade publication reported.

Digital orders account for about 40% of the chain's sales.

Chipotle has added 500 Chipotlanes in less than two years, according to a company announcement marking the milestone.

Chief Operating Officer Jason Kidd said Chipotlanes remain central to the company's North American expansion strategy because locations with the pickup lanes perform better while giving customers faster access to digital orders.

The Northchase Center restaurant also features what Chipotle calls its "Habanero" restaurant design and a High-Efficiency Equipment Package, or HEEP, which the company says is designed to improve kitchen efficiency.

Chipotle plans more Florida growth

Chipotle expects to increase its Florida restaurant count by about 17% in 2026 and create roughly 1,500 restaurant jobs statewide, according to the company.

In 2025, the chain opened 334 company-owned restaurants, including 257 with a Chipotlane.

As of June 30, Chipotle operated more than 4,200 restaurants in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and the Middle East.

The company plans to open 350 to 370 restaurants in 2026 as it works toward a long-term goal of 7,000 restaurants in the U.S. and Canada.