Why Chipotle Isn’t In Hawaii Or Alaska

While it isn’t entirely clear why there are no Chipotle restaurants in Hawaii and Alaska, their absence from the two states likely has to do with factors like ingredients and cost.

Since Chipotle uses fresh ingredients daily, avoiding freezers and can openers, it poses logistical challenges and higher costs for remote locations like Hawaii and Alaska.

Another compounding factor is the lower population. When you take an expensive distribution process and combine it with a small number of customers, it makes no financial sense.

However, despite Alaska’s lowest population density among U.S. states and Hawaii’s comparatively low total population, other chains have managed to operate in these locations.

So while you may not find a Chipotle in these remote locations, you’ll definitely be able to spot popular chains like McDonald’s, Starbucks, and Domino’s Pizza.