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Chipotle to move headquarters to LA-area, add digital drive-thrus

By Sommer Brokaw

May 24 (UPI) -- In an effort to revitalize its operations, Chipotle Mexican Grill said it'll move its national headquarters and add drive-thru windows at some locations exclusively for online orders.

The chain said it's moving its offices from Denver to Newport Beach, Calif., within six months.

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"We'll always be proud of our Denver roots where we opened our first restaurant 25 years ago," said Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol. "The consolidation of offices and the move to California will help us drive sustainable growth while continuing to position us well in the competition for top talent."

Chipotle said it will also shift from offices in New York to Southern California and Columbus, Ohio.

The company said about 400 employees in Denver and New Work will be affected by the move. In Columbus, the staff will grow by about 150 workers.

The restaurant chain has been working for many months to get out from behind a health scandal that shuttered some of its locations. Between 2015 and last year, outbreaks involving Salmonella, E. Coli and norovirus have impacted Chipotle's brand.

Chipotle also told CNBC Thursday it plans to add drive-thru lanes at some locations to handle online orders.

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"Chipotle has this huge opportunity ahead of us as it relates to access," Chief Digital and Information Officer Curt Garner told CNBC. "As we've looked at access, we've also looked at it in terms of different restaurant formats and these mobile drive-thru pick-up restaurants are part of that."

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