When Scott Boatwright joined Mexican Chipotle grill As head of operations eight years ago, he worked closely with the foundo founder, Steve Els. Chipotle was focused on the laser on the operations at the time, as it looks to rebuild sales after the safety crisis two years ago. But boatwright felt that there is one missing element: an additional touch of hospitality.
He also remembers Putrait, CEO since last November, Els told him that Chipotel does not need to be friendly, but rather needed to be fast. This is now changing that the boat is responsible. The friendly service is a major thorn in his plan to leave its mark on a fast service chain.
“Our team members have focused on creating the experience efficiently so that they can only forget the smile.” luck In an interview with him recently at the Chipotle headquarters in Nioport Beach, California, this does not mean an in -depth exchange of how your children work in school, and rushes to add it. But this means basic greetings and questions such as “What can I make new to you today?” Or phrases such as “Thank you for spending your hard -won money in Chipotle”, whose boat says does not slow down employees, but rather adds more welcoming what is a work in the field of hospitality.
(His predecessor and former president, Bian Nicole, who was involved Starbucks Last year after a very six -year -old period in Chipotle, she does something similar in the coffee store chain, directing Paristas to leave short personal notes on cups. But the trick warns boats, because such touches to work are not to feel “forced”.
“We are all fighting for the market share, we are all fighting for dollars,” he says. This means that the right brain skills to make customers feel welcome must be spread along with the left brain skills necessary for the best operations in their class.
This is more important given that the Chipotle growth plan includes more international expansion, especially its bold bet on Mexico, deeper in smaller American cities and trying to get more businesses from both current 3500 restaurants. In the ten months that have passed since he took over, initially on a temporary basis, Chipotle shares were barely budget, and the “waiting and vision” position in Wall Street fell.
Chipotle wants to sell Mexican foods to Mexicans
On the same day, Wall Street Investors told the Smile-More campaign, Chipotle announced its plan to work with a partner to open restaurants in Mexico, the spiritual homeland of Boritus and the quesadillas that it sells. The news sparked eyebrows, given that Taco Bell’s attempts to conquer Mexico a few years ago. Analyst Antonio Hernandez wrote in Actinver research in a research note that “familiarity with its components does not necessarily predict success.” According to Reuters.
But senior CEOs at Chipotle insists on having a place in the market for its American Mexican food due to its focus on the freshness and high standards.
“We are not just a place for American fast food to come,” says Chris Brandt, the brand director, chief marketing official, using a lot in the industry, preferring to “a fast service restaurant.” “It seems somewhat similar to a kind of sales to Iskimos,” he said jokingly. But he says, the white space in the Chipotle market is Mexican food of certain quality, and the freshness of the ingredients in a faster environment.
Moreover, the Mexican experience, which was conducted in partnership with the restaurant operator, Alsea, which has extensive experience there, will tell Chipotle if it can go beyond Latin America and the extent of speed. Brandt and Boatwright say they are not concerned about any hostile feeling abroad that affect Chipotle’s expansion, in light of the debate between the governments of the United States and Mexico in recent months. “I don’t know if this flows to brands,” says Boatwright.
In addition, Chipotle plans to grow by generating more business in restaurants that already have and expands to new markets. Last year, the average annual Chipotle sales of $ 3.2 million, but financial manager Adam Rimmer says the number could reach $ 4 million in the non -far -long future. (Rymer also believes that the possibility of Chipotle reaches 7000 stores by expanding not only abroad but also locally in the smaller markets of 30,000 people where restaurants may not go like hot pepper or olive garden but where people may want more options than McDonald or Kentucky Fried ChickenHis colleague, Brand Brandt president, also puts: “We are a real restaurant, and most places in our area are not.”
This is where the operations come, and it is the boat experience area for years. Chipotle 53 uses components to prepare its food and work hard to create equipment to make cooking easier without affecting the final product. The product segment and a device to help workers quickly cut onions are only two of the changes made to accelerate production without executive officials, which affects the quality.
Boatwright also wants to see the fastest food innovation and the transition from limited time elements (LTOS in industrial terminology) annually, or an additional temporary menu element aimed at fueling attention, perhaps to three. The more sophisticated data analyzes than those used only a few years ago have allowed Chipotle to avoid their imbalance with LTOS, such as the disappointment of the Guajillo meat chip in 2022, giving boats and his team more confidence in innovation.
Currently, Chipotle has a blow on her hands with honey and Burritos chicken vessels, a product inspired by the direction of food in Nashville. “We are not an adventure at all,” says CEO. “We are following the process of a very strict stage gate. We will know a long time before it reaches the market, whether it is successful or not.”
But no one should expect one thing: low -price elements that reach the list. Chipotle tried to do so during the 2008-2009 financial collapse, only to find yawning customers.
“We have seen in the past that he did not really lead to more visits,” says financial manager Rimmer. “The market test we conducted found that people really stuck in what they go to Chipotle.” (The company has been able to transfer a lot of inflation in recent years to customers who have little decline, although executives say they are keen regarding the impact of definitions on elements such as avocado and Australian beef.)
While Chipotle is looking to build on its sales of 2024, amounting to $ 11.3 billion, and soon reflected the decrease in sales in the same quarter, it contains a number of cranes at their disposal. But Execs say they are aware of the changes that can add to sales at the beginning, but this will eventually harm a brand based on what you call food safety.
“When the brands begin to try to be everything, they lose their identity,” says Boatwright.
This story was originally shown on Fortune.com
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