Chipotle is going for gold again with the return of its gold-foil burritos for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Starting January 15, Chipotle will offer a few Olympian-inspired menu items on the Chipotle app and online. Then in February, Chipotle will wrap every burrito in gold.
For Chipotle, the Olympics are an opportunity to shake off a slump. Chipotle shares plummeted 19% in October 2025, and its operating margin was down 1% in Q3. The company hasn’t announced its full 2025 financial results yet, but sales are expected to decline (a reversal from February 2025 projections). Key segments of the company’s customer base—younger people and low- to middle-income households—are dining out less often.
The gilded Olympics campaign creates a moment to associate Chipotle burritos with the two big trends in food: less processing and more (and more and more) protein.
“While the path to greatness is different for each of these star athletes, Chipotle is consistently part of their training regimen, providing easy access to real ingredients and high protein options,” said Stephanie Perdue, Chipotle interim chief marketing officer, in a press release. “We are honoring Team Chipotle by bringing back gold foil and extending this moment of celebration to fans across the U.S.”
A history of Chipotle’s Olympic gold (foils)
This isn’t the first time Chipotle has debuted gilded burrito wrappers. The gold foil made its debut for the company’s 18th anniversary in 2011, then released nationwide in 2021 for the Tokyo Olympics. Then the gold foil returned for Paris 2024, along with the first iteration of Olympians’ signature meals as limited menu items.
Fans can once again eat like Olympians this year. The go-to orders of Team USA hockey players Matthew Tkachuk, Brady Tkachuk, Hilary Knight, Taylor Heise, and snowboard Red Gerard will all be available as digital menu items. But what’s different this year is a sign of the times: It appears that this is the first year that Chipotle is advertising the grams of protein on each menu item.
For Milano Cortina 2026, all 4,000 Chipotle locations in the U.S. will carry the gold foil wrappers while supplies last. Here are the go-to orders of Team Chipotle:
The Matthew Tkachuk Bowl
Burrito bowl with double chicken, light brown rice, light tomatillo-red chili salsa, light sour cream and lettuce (67 grams of protein)
The Brady Tkachuk Bowl
Burrito bowl with half chicken, half steak, white rice and roasted chili-corn salsa (60 grams of protein)
The Hilary Knight Burrito
Burrito with white rice, pinto beans, fresh tomato salsa, cheese and guac (28 grams of protein)
The Taylor Heise Tacos
An order of three tacos with soft flour tortillas, chicken, fresh tomato salsa, roasted chili-corn salsa, sour cream, cheese and lettuce (50 grams of protein)
The Red Gerard Bowl
Burrito bowl with chicken, extra white rice, tomatillo-red chili salsa, cheese, sour cream and lettuce (48 grams of protein)
The race to own the Olympics
Chipotle certainly isn’t the only brand trying to ride the Olympics wave.
In October, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced a limited-edition custom pasta shaped like the five Olympic rings. Although the pasta was not available for sale, there are plenty of other partnerships for those looking to get a taste of the Olympics.
Bloom Nutrition has partnered with three-time U.S. national champion figure skater Amber Glenn. Kodiak is fueling U.S. Ski and Snowboard with its high-protein, whole-grain products ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
For Chipotle, the gold foil campaign is a way to invite customers to be a part of the Olympic moment, and associate the beleaguered burrito company with new energy. “Our gold foil is a simple and joyful way of honoring American athletes and rallying fans to root them on this winter,” Perdue said.
Discover more from The Veteran-Owned Business Blog
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
You must be logged in to post a comment.