• by Teresa Buyikian , September 15, 2023

This week Chipotle announced that Carne Asada will reappear on its menu in the U.S. and Canada. The announcement marks the third time Chipotle has offered the marinated and seasoned meat to customers as a limited-time offer. 

The return is not unexpected; over 10 million customers purchased Carne Asada when first introduced to the menu in 2019, and almost half of those were first-time Chipotle customers, according to the company. After it was added to the menu for a second time in 2020, it became one of the brand’s most requested items on social media.

To promote the item’s return, Chipotle is offering free delivery on all  Carne Asada orders placed through the Chipotle app and website beginning Sept. 14 through Oct. 1.

New to menu options is the Chipotle Carne Asada Quesadilla, containing Monterey Jack cheese, optional fajita veggies and three sides.

Earlier this year in March, Chipotle launched the Fajita Quesadilla, inspired by TikTok fans, which almost doubled the chain’s quesadilla lunch orders. The introduction also resulted in two of the brand’s top digital sales days of all time. The Quesadillas are only available via the Chipotle App, Chipotle.com, Chipotle.ca and on third-party delivery platforms.

The chain, with over 3,250 locations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Germany, also recently announced it is beefing up its staff across all locations. With over 250 locations scheduled to be added by the end of the year, Chipotle estimates it will create more than 7,000 new jobs before the end of 2023.

The brand is using social media to promote its hiring effort, with posts depicting behind-the-scenes content highlighting the daily life of Chipotle employees, cooking content and workplace benefits. As an added perk, Chipotle offers restaurant staff a $200 referral bonus for referring another crew member, and a $750 bonus for referring an apprentice or general manager.