Chipotle's Sofritas vegan tofu burrito officially hit company restaurants throughout locations in New York City, Boston, and nationally Monday becoming the franchise restaurant chain's newest addition to the menu.
According to Chipotle's Facebook Page, Sofritas are currently on the menu at Chipotles in California, Colorado, Chicago and the surrounding vicinity, Delaware, Idaho, Maryland, New Mexico, Northern Indiana, Oregon, Philadelphia and the surrounding vicinity, Richmond, Va., Utah, Vancouver, British Columbia, Washington, Washington, D.C. and the surrounding vicinity, Wisconsin, and Wyoming according to information on the company's website.
The burrito has organic tofu, roasted poblanos, chipotle chiles, and spices Fast Company Friday. The food caters to customers who may want a vegetarian food item.
"It was really ingredient driven," Nate Appleman, culinary manager at Chipotle told Fast Company.
The item joins Chipotle's meat burrito, crispy tacos, soft tacos, salad, and chips and guacamole according to information on the company's website.
The tofu product used in the Sofritas comes from Minh Tsai's Hodo Soy Beanery that produces tofu, soymilk, yuba, and prepared food not made with beans containing genetically modified organisms. Fast Company's Co-Exist reported.
"There is no machine to make this," Tsai told Fast Company's Co-Exist.
Chipotle tried out the burrito over the last year, and collaborated with Tsai to make sure the food tasted the best it possibly could.
Concern has risen over the company's possibly loss of business, but Chipotle's new direction is deemed safer.
"It could cut into the sales of meat and also maybe help reduce meat consumption," Appleman told Fast Company. "Growing soy is less harmful on the environment than raising a cow just because the earth energy it takes to raise a 2,000-pound steer versus soybeans is completely different," Appleman told Fast Company.
"It's not a concern to us that we're going to lose business over this," Chris Arnold, spokesman for Chipotle told Bloomberg Businessweek. "If anything, it engenders more trust when you're more forthcoming about the food you serve. Any downside there may be ... is going to be eclipsed by the upside with being transparent," Arnold told Businessweek.
