Chipotle's New Chili Lime Chips: Real Flavor

The taste of authentic craving

An undeniably delicious idea lies behind the new Chili Lime Chips by Chipotle. This is food innovation grounded in the reality of customer experience. The chips weren’t dreamed up in a marketing boardroom but were instead inspired by a simple and common behavior: customers pouring seasoned chips into their bowls. The impulse to season these chips suggests that customers are already combining a range of flavors. Yet, Chili Lime chips are the result of customers experimenting by mixing the seasoning from the chips with the rest of the chips. Customers are already treating the chips as more than a side. They are leveraging them to add a certain complexity to their meals. Chili Lime chips encapsulate this. Never reductive, the chips aren’t merely a simpler way to add lime and chili flavors to a meal. These are not just chips with a twist. They have a complexity that is distinctly Chipotle.

Customizing meals

The new Chili Lime chips are a perfect companion to the restaurant’s bowls. Inspiration for the chips came from customers who were pouring the seasoning from the chip bags over their bowls. Specifically, customers were pouring the seasoning from the chip bags, but not the chips, over their bowls. The Chili Lime chips target these customers directly. They provide a way for customers to enjoy not just the seasoning but the chips themselves. The chips likely evoke some pride among customers who have been seasoning their meals with chip seasoning. They let customers showcase their particular taste profile while being convenient for Chipotle. Instead of just serving bowls, Chipotle customers can now enjoy a total meal experience with the chip and bowl combo, simply by taking out the chips with their bowls.

Adding flavors

Seasoned chips are not a new concept in the fast food landscape. Chipotle’s new Chili Lime chips, however, have a unique flavor profile and deep brand affinity. Chipotle’s strong brand association with lime and chili flavors means customers likely already understand the tangy, spicy notes they are going to get from these chips. The taste authenticity comes from the ingredients themselves. The Chili Lime chips deliver a “real flavor” that customers will recognize. The chips have a distinct, recognizable citrus taste from the lime as well as a spice from the chili. However, these notes are tempered by a bit of sweetness. This ensures that the Chili Lime chips are not overly spicy. They let the customer decide to have as much flavor as they want.