Chipotle to test drive-thru windows

Chipotle is making plans to test out what customers have long been asking for -- the chain’s first ever drive-thru.

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Tuesday, Chipotle executives announced they will be running a trial of a drive-thru option this fall at an undisclosed location in Ohio.

If all goes well, more Chipotle drive-thrus could be in the near future.

The move is part of Chipotle’s plan to improve its reputation and its customer experience. The company has experienced at least two years of financial slump after customers reported illnesses like norovirus and E. coli after eating at restaurant locations.

“We saw encouraging signs in our improved financial results during the first half of the year,” Chipotle CEO Steve Ells said in a news release. “Recent events, however, have shown that we still have a lot of opportunity to improve our operations and deliver the outstanding experience that our customers expect.”

Chipotle is currently testing a new queso offering, an avocado-citrus salad dressing, a dessert and a frozen margarita at the Chipotle NEXT Kitchen, a public test kitchen in New York City. The company is also considering price increases for menu items, but has met setbacks including an incident in which rodents were seen at a Chipotle restaurant in Dallas and a norovirus scare at a Virginia location.

Cox Media Group