Chipotle Korea prepares Android pickup ordering

Chipotle is expanding its mobile ordering channels in South Korea after opening its first Asian restaurant in Seoul's Gangnam area Wednesday. Chipotle Korea is preparing to launch its Korean app for Android smartphones after previously releasing an iPhone version, according to industry sources Saturday. The existing Chipotle Korea app allows customers to place pickup orders by selecting and paying for menu items before collecting their food at the restaurant. Users can customize the ingredients in each item, earn and redeem Happy Points, review previous orders and receive notifications when orders are ready for pickup. Expanding mobile pickup ordering to Android is expected to make the service accessible to more smartphone users. Demand for mobile pickup is also expected to grow because the Gangnam restaurant attracted strong interest from the outset, with customers waiting in line for nearly three hours even before its official opening. Chipotle opened its first South Korean and Asian restaurant near Gangnam Station in Seoul on Sept. 2. The 96-seat restaurant allows customers to select burritos, burrito bowls, tacos or salads and customize them with ingredients including meat, rice, beans and salsa. Chipotle plans to open two more restaurants in South Korea by the end of the year, bringing its total in the country to three. It also plans to open its first Singapore location in the first half of next year.