Chipotle For The Fast Food Industry

Chipotle ventured into a new territory when it was created, as it had an innovative vision for fast-casual restaurants. By using fresh and quality ingredients, Chipotle raised the bar in their segment. The service line where customers could see their order being prepared enhanced the experience of Chipotle. Consumers who were used to eating at fast-casual restaurants where the food was frozen and made out of sight were able to savor the uniqueness of Chipotle. These differences helped Chipotle become successful. However, as competitors copy the traits that make Chipotle unique, Chipotle must adapt and overcome in order to remain a profitable company.

The age old debate: is Chipotle or Qdoba the better fast food Mexican restaurant? Of course, one could choose from many pros and cons for either side, but my goal was to dig down into the debate. Which restaurant has a better atmosphere? Which one has better ingredients? Are there more options at one than another? Which restaurant gives it’s customer more bang for their buck? Although I may be biased because I work at Qdoba, I’ve thoroughly researched each restaurant and come to a conclusion. Each restaurant brings many different options to the table, but in the end Qdoba is far superior to Chipotle in many ways.

Chipotle Mexican Grill is one the fastest growing restaurant businesses in the United States. Chipotle Mexican Grill was founded by the current CEO, Steve Ells, in 1993. Chipotle headquarters are located at 1401 Wynkoop Street, Denver, Colorado 80202. The company operates in the restaurant industry and more specifically the fast casual Mexican restaurant market.

Fast Casual Restaurant fast casual restaurant is a type of restaurant that does not offer full table service but promises a higher quality of food and atmosphere than a fast food restaurant. In the USA it is a relatively new and growing concept to fill the space between fast food and casual dining. The typical cost per meal is in the US$8–$15 range. Two emerging fast casual restaurants are Chipotle Mexican Grill and Panera Bread.

One of the biggest epidemics that hit the seen this year is the ongoing e-coil scare that involves six states and 45 people with the fast growing Mexican food chain Chipotle. Currently the Center for Disease Control Prevention has tracked a serious strand of e-coil, to a common meal item or ingredient served at Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants in several states. Out of those 45 people that have came in contact with the strand of e-coil 16 of them have been hospitalized due to the severeness of the strand. This epidemic can be categorized as being serious do to the fact that it has spread over many states and yet it has not been pinpointed to a specific cause.

Steve Ells started Chipotle in 1993, and expanded the chain to over 400 stores within 12 years. Chipotle is supported by the financial power and sprawling distribution network of owner McDonald 's Corp, and is the largest Mexican-style concept among a number of fast-casual competitors that also have been picked up by quick-service companies in recent years (Peters, 2005).

Chipotle targets people ages 18-24 that are in the middle class and presumably well-educated. As per the U.S. Census data accessible in April 2016, Chipotle's business sector comprised of 13.3 million family households with a 10 billion cap out of a 120 billion fast-food market. The information uncovered that 79% of the family households were non-Hispanic whites and 33% of them had higher educations or graduate degree. There are additionally family buyers of Chipotle which 68% of them were wedded with 35% in a two-person family to be a couple and 43% in a three to four-person family household wedded with kids. Chipotle searches for grubbers and wellbeing fanatics who likes to eat big amounts of food or have a meal that is good for the body. Chipotle targets individuals who are earth cognizant that takes after the 'Food with Integrity' mission, socially engaged, technology knowledgeable, and financially

The article from the New York Times blog states that the Chipotle begun the food delivery service in April 2015. Postmates, Chipotle’s first official delivery partner, provides the service. This service covers over 67 cities in the United States. Customers only need to pay the delivery fee that starts from $4.99 to $7.99 according to the distance. Chipotle's chief marketing and development officer Mark Crumpacker indicated that there was a 30% month-over-month growth in Chipotle, since the start of Postmates’ delivery service provided.

This article presents a promotion as a part of new advertising campaign offered by managers of Chipotle restaurants. That promotion was necessary

It is started to run into Generation Z and even the older consumers of Generation X. These educated, multigenerational consumers make up a large targeting segment for Chipotle (12). Economic Environment Chipotle's fame in the market has been steadily rising since it was first publicly introduced in 2006 (5). There was a small stagnation when the food-borne illness breakout occurred but it has since then recovered (18). The market for fast, healthy food is on the rise so Chipotle is on the rise with it! Consumer confidence has strengthened due to Chipotle campaigning it's Cultivate Foundation.

To date all restaurants are company-owned and not franchised. Restaurants cover forty-three states in the U.S., Canada, England, and France. The only variation to the original model has been an increased environmental awareness and a “Test Restaurant” in Washington D.C. that serves Asian-Style fast casual food.

Chipotle first opened in Denver in 1993 with a simple idea behind it, “food served fast didn’t have to be “fast-food” experience”, (Chipotle Mexican Grill, 2015). Prior to CEO Steve Ellis opening the restaurant chain, he himself was a chef. Since its creation, Chipotle has become a phenomenon in the restaurant industry and has experienced tremendous growth since it went public in 2006 with over 1,600 restaurants in Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, and France, with the majority located in the United States (Chipotle Mexican Grill, 2015).

Management is the backbone of any good company. In order for a company to successful, a strong management team is needed in order to meet goals in an effective and efficient manner. Chipotle opened its doors in 1993 when Steve Ells took a chance and began his business in San Francisco. Chipotle is a chain of Mexican restaurants that is based in Denver. Chipotle is often cited as the company that started the fast casual movement where customers can get a healthy prepared meal quicker than other traditional styled restaurant. The fast casual restaurant concept was well received and Chipotle’s popularity expanded all across the United States. Customers could not get enough of the Mexican chain and massive lines could be seen stretching outside the stores all across the country. Along with its popular food, Chipotle Mexican Style Grill is a company that contains a successful management style. Why? What sets this companies management apart from the rest? There are many factors that we could analyze to understand the success of Chipotle, yet for the purpose of this paper, we will look into the cooperate culture of the company, human resource management, their leadership style, and how Chipotle deals with and how the company manages in times of crisis.

The company began to grow and by 2005 there were 500 units open (Subramanain, 2013, para 20). The company continues to follow the business model that is primarily focused on “…operational proficiency and social responsibility” (Chipotle’s Growth Machine, 2011, para 6). Ells is proud of the success that his company has been a part of. The business has been successful because of the process that is completed. He states, “It works because of our system: fresh, local, sustainable ingredients, cooked with classic methods in an open kitchen where the customer can see everything, and served in a pleasing environment” (Chipotle’s Growth Machine, 2011, para 6). With their focus on fast casual, the business continues to find success based on reasonable costs for their products and the environment in which they are served. As outlined in the case there are a few key concerns that Chipotle as a company needs to address in order to see continued success. Chipotle has to make a decision on what type of approach to take in order to maintain quality and price. Quality and price are essential to the future

The company I have chosen to base my assignment on is Taco Bell. It is a leading Mexican style fast-food chain serving tacos, burritos, signature quesadillas, Border Bowls®, nachos and other specialty items. Currently, Taco Bell serves more than 35million consumers each week in approximately 5,600 restaurants in the United States of America. It is recognized as the best Mexican fast-food chains in the United States of America (Yum! Brands, 2010). This fast-food chain plans on introducing its products in Malaysia.