Little more than three months after naming the former head of Taco Bell as its CEO, Chipotle Mexican Grill announced it will relocate its headquarters from Denver to Southern California—also home to Taco Bell.
Chipotle’s new corporate home will be Newport Beach, Calif., with a consolidated shared services center in Columbus, Ohio. The relocation will affect some 400 employees in Denver and New York in the last quarter of 2018, with some being offered relocation and retention incentives, the company said.
The move to California will “help us drive sustainable growth while continuing to position us well in the competition for top talent,” Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol said in a statement.
“In order to align the structure around our strategic priorities, we are transforming our culture and building world-class teams to revitalize the brand and enable our long-term success," he added.
The massive move will take place over the next six months, as Chipotle transitions offices in Denver and New York to California and Ohio. The Newport Beach office will house the chain’s operations, business development, marketing, communication, finance, supply chain, food safety, technology, human resources and other corporate functions.
The existing shared services center in Columbus will grow from 100 to more than 250 employees, allowing the company to consolidate and standardize support services.
Chipotle, widely credited with spearheading the customizable fast-casual category, opened its first unit in Denver in 1993. Its corporate headquarters have been located there ever since.
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