Chipotle Relocates Headquarters To Newport Beach

NEWPORT BEACH, CA — Chipotle Mexican Grill is making a big move, leaving its current headquarters in Denver, Colorado and heading west to Newport Beach, that corporation announced Wednesday.

"We have a tremendous opportunity at Chipotle to shape the future of our organization," Brian Niccol, Chief Executive Officer at Chipotle said.

Though the chain has always embraced their Colorado roots, the first store location of the now 25-year-old business, consolidating offices and heading to California will assist the company with driving growth that is sustainable, as well as to position the business for drawing "top talent," Niccol said.

It will take six months to complete the transition as the corporation moves personnel from Denver and New York to Newport Beach and Columbus, Ohio. Columbus will provide "support functions" in the Shared Services Center, they said.

"Newport Beach will serve as the headquarters for the company's operation, business development, marketing, communications, finance, supply chain, food safety, technology, HR and other corporate functions," they said.

This move will affect approximately 400 employees in Denver and New York in the fourth quarter of 2018, with some being offered relocation and retention packages, according to a Chipotle spokesperson.

The 70,000 field operations and restaurant employees are not part of this reorganization.

Chipotle will close both the Denver and New York City offices following the transition to Newport Beach.

(For more California news, sign up for real-time news alerts and free morning newsletters from your local California Patch . If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

Photo: Getty Images / News / Diners eat at a Chipotle restaurant on October 25, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. Chipotle stock fell more than 14 percent today after a weak 3Q earnings . (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)