A Chipotle Mexican Grill is scheduled to open Tuesday, October 27, at 5571 N. US Hwy. 41 in Apollo Beach, giving locals another spot to grab burritos, bowls and tacos without venturing far from home. The restaurant would join a wave of new Chipotle locations spreading across the Tampa Bay region this year, according to the Osprey Observer.
The planned Apollo Beach location is designed for convenience, built around Chipotle's growing Chipotlane format, which lets customers collect digitally placed orders without leaving their vehicles, according to the Osprey Observer. The restaurant is expected to operate daily from 10:45 a.m. to 10 p.m. On its official location page, Chipotle promotes placing orders online, noting, “Order all your favorites online and we’ll handle the rest,” according to locations.chipotle.com.
Customers who'd rather stay home entirely can still get their fix delivered. Chipotle says it partners with DoorDash's delivery team to fulfill orders placed through its website or app, per the same company location page. The Apollo Beach page also lists a handful of menu options, including the Double High Protein Bowl and a Pollo Asado Quesadilla.
What's On the Menu
The standard Chipotle menu of customizable burritos, bowls, tacos and salads applies at the new location, per the Osprey Observer. The chain is also running a couple of limited-time items right now: Chili Lime Chips seasoned with lime and chili peppers, and Pollo Asado, a grilled chicken seasoned with garlic, Mexican spices, citrus and fresh lime, both per the Osprey Observer's reporting. Protein-focused diners also have the Double High Protein Bowl and High Protein-High Fiber Bowl to choose from, and the chain still offers family meal options for bigger orders.
Chipotle Rewards members can tap into food rewards and other promotions, and the company says new members can score free chips and guacamole with a qualifying purchase, according to the Osprey Observer. Anyone wanting the full rundown on the menu, digital ordering or the rewards program can check www.chipotle.com.
Part of a Bigger Tampa Bay Push
Apollo Beach is just the latest stop in Chipotle's expanding Tampa Bay footprint. The chain has also opened new locations in Hudson, Clearwater and Spring Hill, and has additional restaurants planned for Land O' Lakes and Wesley Chapel, according to the Osprey Observer. Separately, bizjournals.com has reported that Chipotle opened four Tampa Bay locations with more expansions planned, including a restaurant replacing a shuttered Wendy's in Pinellas, a Wesley Chapel site set to demolish a flooring cooperative, and a Hudson location taking the place of a discount grocer.
Bizjournals.com also reported that Chipotle plans to backfill a vacant storefront in Water Street Tampa and bring a mobile-order drive-thru lane to Tarpon Springs. In a separate report, the outlet said Chipotle plans two more Hillsborough County locations in Lithia and Wimauma. Meanwhile, WFLA reported that the chain's New Port Richey, Oldsmar and Largo restaurants all feature the same Chipotlane drive-thru pickup lane headed to Apollo Beach, allowing guests to grab digital orders without stepping inside.
A Chain Still on a Growth Tear
The Apollo Beach opening fits into a much larger national build-out. Chipotle said it had more than 4,200 restaurants as of June 30 across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and the Middle East, according to newsroom.chipotle.com. The company opened 334 company-owned restaurants in 2025, 257 of which included a Chipotlane, and it expects to open another 350 to 370 locations in 2026 as it works toward a long-term goal of 7,000 restaurants across the U.S. and Canada.
Florida is seeing an outsized share of that growth. Chipotle expects its restaurant footprint in the state to grow by roughly 17% in 2026, creating approximately 1,500 restaurant jobs, per the newsroom release. The Chipotlane format itself hit a milestone recently too, with the company opening its 1,500th Chipotlane on September 29 at 16680 SR 64 East in Bradenton — a restaurant that also debuted Chipotle's new Habanero design and High-Efficiency Equipment Package, per the same release.
Hiring Underway
Chipotle is hiring crew members for its restaurants, and employment positions may include benefits like crew bonuses, debt-free college degree opportunities, English-as-a-second-language programs and mental health care for employees and their families, according to Chipotle. The company also offers all employees medical, dental and health insurance, along with up to $5,250 a year in tuition assistance, according to a listing on jobs.chipotle.com.
Workers can also accrue up to 40 hours of vacation and 24 hours of sick time after a year of service, depending on state law, per the same job listing. Chipotle notes that more than 80% of its managers are promoted from crew positions, a detail the company highlights as it continues hiring across its expanding store count. Those interested in applying can find more information at chipotle.com/careers.
