Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. began a test Tuesday of a new chorizo protein option in 33 restaurants in the Kansas City, Mo., market.

The Denver-based fast-casual operator has been working to develop a chorizo menu item for years. It tested a version of chorizo in 2011 at restaurants in New York.

Chipotle corporate chef Nate Appleman told the Kansas City Star that chorizo was one of the first products he worked on, and that he has been “beating the drum for five years” to move toward a rollout of the new protein option.

In a statement, company officials said they would gauge potential expansion plans for the test based on customer response in Kansas City.

Long known for its streamlined and fully customizable menu, Chipotle’s last addition to the protein lineup was the tofu-based Sofritas. The chain first tested Sofritas in San Francisco in 2013, and later expanded the test regionally. It rolled Sofritas out systemwide in 2014.

“Since we opened the first Chipotle restaurant 22 years ago, our menu has changed very little, and our focus has been on constantly improving the quality of every ingredient we use,” said Steve Ells, Chipotle founder, chairman and co-CEO. “While we have never been opposed to adding to our menu, we will only do so when we think there’s an opportunity to add something that is really unique within our overall menu, and where we can find ingredients that meet our high standards.”

Courtesy of Chipotle

The chorizo in test is made from a blend of chicken and pork seasoned with paprika, toasted cumin and chipotle peppers, and charred on the grill before being crumbled for service.

As with the brand’s beef, chicken, pork and tofu options, Kansas City customers can select chorizo as the protein for building a burrito, bowl, salad or tacos.

Some of Chipotle’s more than 1,800 restaurants have been forced to go without pork for a few months after a supplier was suspended for not meeting the chain’s sustainability standards.

Chipotle communications director Chris Arnold said it’s too soon to tell how the addition of chorizo would impact the chain’s overall pork supply.

“We do believe we have found a solution to our carnitas shortage, and expect to have more pork for carnitas coming back into our system the first part of Q3, and hope to have it back in all of our restaurants before the end of the year,” Arnold said. “So the potential impacts from chorizo are really moot.”

Wall Street analyst Mark Kalinowski of Janney Montgomery Scott LLC wrote in a report Tuesday that he was delighted to hear that the chorizo was back in test.

“We raved about the flavor of the chorizo Chipotle was offering in New York City during 2011,” Kalinowski wrote. “Does this latest effort now available in Kansas City match up? Road trip!”

Kalinowski noted that the earlier version tested in New York may have been perceived as greasy. However, the Kansas City Star indicated that Appleman’s latest iteration is a lighter, less greasy sausage.

Chorizo in general is becoming more popular in the U.S., Kalinowski noted, saying that he was eating a scrambled egg and chorizo breakfast bowl from McDonald’s as he wrote the report.

Contact Lisa Jennings at [email protected]

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