Chipotle Mexican Grill Menu Focus is on Fresh Fast on Meals

What’s for Dinner? It looks as if focusing on fresh fast meals at Chipotle is what’s for dinner according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. Chipotle combined technology with a focus on fresh food fast to improved store operations resulting in a 13.4% growth in same-store sales; transactions up 8% last quarter.

In the grocerant era one constant undercurrent is the fact that consumers are looking for fresh food fast that in the form of a meal or meal component according to Johnson.  With a new focus on meals, it would appear that burritos are out and bowls are in at Chipotle.  Bowls are considered a complete meal, and when they are service fresh and fast it like a home run according to Johnson.

Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol stated discussing ‘earnings’ the “Rule of thumb is ⅔ bowls. Next is burritos followed by tacos,”…“The reality is our business continues to show a slight migration to bowls.” So, What’s for dinner and lunch? Bowls are meals, complete meals and at Chipotle you can get a complete meal that is fresh and fast via the drive thru or ordering ahead for pick-up.

Technology is helping drive brand adoption and speed of service. Chipotle’s “Lifestyle bowls” are only available through the Chipotle app, which now boasts 8 million registered members. Native orders are helping drive digital sales, which grew 78.3% to $282 million for the quarter.” Integrating a pick-up spot inside save consumers time. 

Niccol continued “Digital sales now account for 19.6% of total sales, up from 12.9% for the same period in 2018. An 8% growth in transactions for the quarter contributed to a 13.4% jump in same-store sales. It was the eighth consecutive quarter of positive same-store sales for company, and third consecutive quarter with double digit growth. How is your brand repositioning meals in the mind-set of consumers?

Interested in learning how Foodservice Solutions 5P’s of Food Marketing can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization? Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit:  www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information.