Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) announced the opening of its 1,000^th Chipotlane restaurant will take place on Thursday as the drive thru pick-up lane concept continues to grow for the brand.

The milestone Chipotlane location is in the Kansas City metro area. Of the company's more than 3,600 restaurants in its real estate portfolio, nearly 30% feature a Chipotlane.

"Chipotlanes are a critical piece of our long-term growth goal of reaching 7,000 restaurants in North America," stated Chief Brand Officer Chris Brandt. "This restaurant format is the fastest way for fans to get Chipotle and has proven to increase sales, margins, and returns," he added.

The restaurant operator first introduced the Chipotlane format in the U.S. in early 2018, giving guests and delivery drivers the ability to pick up their Chipotle orders without leaving their cars. Notably, new restaurant openings that feature the digital order pick-up lane have demonstrated higher volumes and greater returns than a traditional Chipotle (CMG) restaurant format. On average, it takes guests less than 30 seconds to complete the Chipotlane process.

Looking ahead, Chipotle (CMG) said it is building a real estate pipeline that will allow it to accelerate new unit growth to be in the range of 8% to 10% per year, with the majority of new restaurants featuring a Chipotlane. The company is on track to open between 285 and 315 new restaurants this year, which marks record growth for the business. In 2025, Chipotle anticipates opening between 315 and 345 new restaurants, with at least 80% including a Chipotlane.

Shares of Chipotle (CMG) edged 0.4% higher in premarket trading on Wednesday.