Chipotle Is Serving Up Queso And Margaritas In Their Test Kitchen, Could Be Coming To Locations Across The US
If you’re a lover of liquid cheese and if you happen to list Chipotle as your “go-to” taco spot, then you’re in for a real treat. According to Business Insider, the popular Mexican chain is trying out queso, which means that it could be coming soon to a Chipotle near you.
The taco giant is currently serving up queso for just $1.25 a pop in their new test kitchen, NEXT kitchen in New York City, despite refusing to put the wildly popular item on their menu for years.
E! Online reported that CEO Steve Ells sent a memo to staff prior to launching queso at their test kitchen, explaining that he knows a lot of consumers don’t come to Chipotle because they don’t have queso on the menu. The CEO also went on to say that all of their competitors sell queso, which has hurt Chipotle.
“Queso has to be made with artificial stabilizers to keep its shiny liquid form. Ever heard of all-natural goopy cheese? Do you think there’s a magical cow that squirts queso out of its udders?” Chipotle once said in a video that explained why queso wasn’t on their menu.
But now they’re changing their tune to give the customers what they have been asking for; all because they found a way to stick to their roots and make their queso “all-natural.”
“Queso is something that’s been requested from us for many, many years. Pretty much since we started,” Chipotle’s Chief Marketing Officer Mark Crumpacker confessed to USA Today.
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So what does this cheesy new treat taste like? Luckily, Business Insider did their due diligence and went to Chipotle’s test kitchen to get the skinny on the brand new queso dip. They reported that since the queso is all natural, it’s not quite like the Velveeta queso that consumers are used to. Chipotle’s queso has a similar consistency to chowder. But that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t taste amazing. The insider also reports that all the original, savory flavors are still packed into the dip.
After they test the queso for a month at their test kitchen, they may expand and roll out the popular Tex-Mex dip into other markets. Colorado and California are rumored to be the next locations on the list.
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Chipotle enthusiasts have already taken to Twitter to describe their positive feelings on Chipotle’s newest venture.
“Chipotle is testing Queso in New York and this is EXACTLY the excuse I need for that weekend trip,” one Chipotle lover tweeted.
Another customer rejoiced with a simple message.
“#CHIPOTLE IS MAKING QUESO #HALLELUJAH.”
And if queso isn’t quite your thing, you may be happy to find out that Chipotle is also testing another fun menu item, the frozen margarita. Customers can choose from a non-alcoholic strawberry margarita or a classic margarita with blanco tequila. Perhaps they will even expand to more flavors in the future if these two do well.
What do you think of Chipotle’s latest announcement? Are you going to head the Chipotle’s test kitchen this week to test out queso or margaritas for yourself?
[Featured Image by Andrew Renneisen/Getty Images]
