Chipotle Embraces Travis Kelce Fandom with Clever Restaurant Name Change
In a lighthearted gesture that captures the spirit of social media trends, Chipotle has joined the Travis Kelce frenzy, adding a quirky twist to one of its franchise locations. On November 20, the fast-casual giant paid homage to the Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end and his amusing historical tweets by playfully altering the sign at its 4151 Sterling Ave., Suite B, Kansas City, MO 64133 location to read “Chipolte.”
The intentional misspelling is a nod to a tweet from Kelce that recently resurfaced on X (formerly known as Twitter) amidst the widespread enthusiasm for the NFL star’s newfound relationship with singer Taylor Swift. Kelce’s tweet from April 2011 humorously expressed his transition from class to therapy and his desire for some “#chipolte” before checking out his new apartment.
The tweet gained renewed attention, accumulating nearly 4,000 likes and over a thousand shares. A glance through Kelce’s past tweets reveals that he playfully referred to the chain as “Chipolte” around 15 times from 2009 to 2011.
Erin Wolford, Vice President of External Communications at Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc., confirmed the deliberate name change in an email statement to TODAY.com. According to Wolford, the decision was a response to Kelce’s old tweets resurfacing on X, presenting an opportunity for Chipotle to authentically engage with the trend.
“Our response was one of our top-performing posts on the platform this year, so we decided to keep the momentum going for our fans by renaming a local Kansas City restaurant as a nod to ‘the guy on the Chiefs’ prior to last night’s game,” Wolford stated, referring to the Chiefs’ game against the Philadelphia Eagles on November 21.
This playful interaction between Chipotle and Travis Kelce showcases the brand’s ability to connect with pop culture moments and engage with its audience in a fun and authentic way. The decision to officially change the restaurant name not only reflects the company’s sense of humor but also underscores the power of social media interactions in fostering a positive and relatable brand image.