---
title: "QSR Magazine: Chipotle is Testing Queso in NYC"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/6e20c002-eb90-4ac4-935b-21e6c38c4cb2
source: "1851 Franchise"
original_url: https://1851franchise.com/qsr-magazine-chipotle-is-testing-queso-in-nyc-2703283
category: "Mexican"
industry: "Restaurants"
segment: "Mexican"
published: 2017-07-11T17:12:01.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T02:06:32.704Z
image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/8d16a998a63eb80524f829ab9791e0fe9325.jpg
---

# QSR Magazine: Chipotle is Testing Queso in NYC

**TL;DR:** Chipotle is testing queso in New York City as part of its comeback efforts after a poor 2016. The brand is trying to meet customer demand for queso while adhering to its standards of not using industrial additives.

*originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2017-07-11. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/qsr-magazine-chipotle-is-testing-queso-in-nyc-2703283).*

## Story

Chipotle is continuing to fight back from a poor 2016 and is betting on a new dish to help its comeback. According to a recent QSR Magazine article , Chipotle is testing queso in New York City at its NEXT test kitchen along with other dishes and drinks.

“All of our competitors sell queso, and we know some customers don’t come to Chipotle because we don’t offer it,” CEO Steve Ells told QSR Magazine. “But because we refuse to use industrial additives, added colors, flavors or preservatives in our food, it’s very difficult to make queso that meets our standards.”

Ells also mentioned that queso has been the most requested dish that is not currently on the menu and in fact, in its 24- year history, Chipotle hasn’t added very many new items to the menu. As the brand continues to come back from its 2016 sales slump, the addition of queso could bring more customers back to stores and away from competitors.

## Entities

- 1851 Franchise (publication)
- Restaurants (sector)
- menu pricing (topic)
- QSR Magazine (publication)
- new york (location)
- new menu item (topic)
- Chipotle (company)
- competitor comparison (topic)
- brand comeback (topic)

---
Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/qsr-magazine-chipotle-is-testing-queso-in-nyc-2703283). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/6e20c002-eb90-4ac4-935b-21e6c38c4cb2).