Brian Niccol, chief executive officer of Starbucks Corp., during a Bloomberg Television interview in New York, US, on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026.
Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Starbucks on Monday denied that it is considering acquiring Chipotle Mexican Grill in what would be the biggest ever restaurant takeover.
"Starbucks is not buying Chipotle," a Starbucks spokesperson told CNBC.
Chipotle's stock was down more than 2% in premarket trading Monday following the denial, while Starbucks shares were more than 1% higher.
The coffee giant's denial comes after days of rumors about a potential mega-deal between the two restaurant companies.
On Thursday, the Financial Times reported that Starbucks has been working with advisers on a takeover proposal of Chipotle in recent months. The newspaper cited people familiar with the matter.
Earlier in October, Semafor reported that Chipotle had hired advisers to defend against activist investors or an unwanted takeover bid. The fast-casual chain is trying to recover from a rocky 2025, when traffic to its restaurants fell. Chipotle shares are down about 20% over the last year, making it a cheaper target.
The deal rumors sent shares of Chipotle higher, while Starbucks stock fell on the reports.
Chipotle investors were looking forward to a potential reunion with Brian Niccol, who previously led Chipotle and is now CEO of Starbucks. But Starbucks shareholders were largely concerned about an expensive distraction while the coffee chain is in the middle of its own turnaround.