Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) is hungry for something shiny and new. Later this month it expects to soft open a new concept -- Farmesa Fresh Eatery -- in Santa Monica, California. It will officially open next month.

Farmesa will take the battle-tested Chipotle approach of fast-casual assembly lines. Chipotle's namesake concept is no stranger to bowls that start with a grain or greens as a base before moving on to a signature protein and eventually a toppings bar, but Farmesa has its sights set on Sweetgreen and other high-end salad restaurants. 

It's easy to instinctively like Chipotle's chances of succeeding. Farmesa is a portmanteau of farm and mesa, the Spanish word for table. The literal farm-to-table concept is championed by Chipotle's "food with integrity" mantra. Differentiated from Chipotle and at higher price points, it's almost exciting to see the eatery darling attempt to go upmarket with a concept that shouldn't cannibalize its flagship chain. The dry rub here is that Chipotle has a terrible track record of thinking outside of the Chipotle Mexican Grill box.  

Continue reading

Source Fool.com