Chipotle Mexican Grill on Monday added a vegan and a vegetarian option to its popular line of Lifestyle Bowls aimed at customers on specific diets.
The “Plant-Powered” bowls represent the first extension to the Lifestyle Bowl offering, which the company launched earlier this year with keto, paleo, Whole30 and double protein diet options.
The bowls are preconfigured to match the respective diets. The vegetarian bowl features guacamole and the vegan bowl features the chain’s soy-based Sofritas.
To be sure, the Newport Beach, Calif.-based fast-casual concept has long given its customers the ability to customize their menu choices to fit their dietary needs. But the Lifestyle Bowls enable for quicker ordering online and through the company’s mobile app. The bowls give customers a “shortcut” to order options that fit their needs.
Photograph courtesy of Chipotle Mexican Grill
They also allow the company to target a growing group of Americans on specific lifestyle diets. Plant-based diets are especially popular—prompting more fast-food chains to target these consumers with options such as White Castle’s Impossible Slider and Del Taco’s Beyond Meat Taco test.
“We’ve found that many people are increasingly looking for plant-based protein options, so we wanted to make it easier for our customers with digital shortcuts for these bowls,” Chipotle Chief Marketing Officer Chris Brandt said in a statement.
Chipotle has long targeted vegan and vegetarian customers. The company introduced its Sofritas in 2014. The plant-based product is shredded and seasoned with poblano pepper, cumin and chipotle. The company sold 7.5 million pounds of the protein at its 2,500 locations last year alone.
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