Essay on Marketing Opportunity: Chipotle Mexican Grill

In the year of 2005, the total revenue of Chipotle was $627.7 Million dollars. "Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. (CMG-$53.50 a share) was a January spin-off with an initial public offering price of $22 -- from McDonald's, the largest retailer of hamburger buns in the world. By year-end 2004, CMG had 387 locations, generated $470 million in revenues and earned 21 cents a share."(Berko) Last year, CMG had 485 locations that produced $627.70 million the growth revenue was at 33.40% in 2005. "pushing tacos, burritos, salads, plus huge helpings of tired rice and boring beans reporting net income of 78 cents a share. This year, CMG expects to earn 71 cents a share and, according to Prudential Securities, CMG will report $1 billion in 2007 revenues (that's a lot of beans) and post higher earnings of 98 cents a share." (Berko) Although Chipotle is at an all time high I believe that it may well be trading its shares at to high of a price. Mcdonalds the best and most efficiently run profitable fast food restaurant is trading their shares at 17 times earnings. Today Chipotle is trading at an outstanding $56.07 Per share. I don't believe Chipotle is worth anything over $30 a share. Although the price of chipotle stock is too high there should still be a hefty revenue at year end 2007. Predictions suggest 1 Billion dollars. For 2005

As demonstrated in Exhibit 1 on page 143, the company’s total revenue increased from $1.085.782 million dollars to $3.214.591 million dollars in less than seven years. Beginning at the end of 2007 through the end of 2013, Chipotle’s Mexican Grill total revenues increased at a CAGR of 19.83%. The new provided catering program, the six elements of their strategy adapted to other cuisines (ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen) and the growing number of new restaurants are decisive aspects in increasing revenue yearly.

Another point that reinforces this statement is related to their employees and the way they benefit them in many different ways because from the beginning, they become part of Chipotle by a trainee program and after that if they show that their store is running in a very positive way, they will promote making possible going up the ladder. They

Chipotle plans to keep its menu simple, but the combinations of fresh ingredients create countless meal varieties for customers. The majority of the food products are fresh and prepared from scratch using kitchen stoves, grills, pots, pans, knives, and other utensils.

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 Mexican Grill, Inc. is a “fast-food service restaurant” under limited service category. It was formed in 1993 and went public in 2006. It has the largest market share in the Mexican-type food segment with a net income of more than

“Food with integrity.” The slogan of Chipotle. Their goal? They use high-quality raw ingredients, classic cooking techniques and more to provide the best experience for both the customer and their employees. Within 23 years, the company has improved so much from a single restaurant in the year 1993 till 2000plus restaurants worldwide. Believe it or not, McDonald’s contributes a lot to Chipotle’s success. It invested in Chipotle in the year 1998, helping the company to expand rapidly, at the same time owned more than 90% of Chipotle’s stock, according to Huffington Post. McDonald’s divested completely from Chipotle by August 2006 as co-CEO Steve Ells stated, “I’ve never thought that we reached Chipotle, the brand’s, full potential during the time with McDonald’s.” Today we will be comparing Chipotle with McDonald’s, by looking at their difference and similarities in their characteristics such as their pricing and output, market power and their revenues and cost structure.

Chipotle has recently approved the project for a new product expansion. The products that will be now offered will be red chile and green chile. This project was approved for many reasons. The project will help boost Chipotle’s sales overall. It will also add more menu items to Chipotle’s current offerings. Chipotle can capitalize and eventually also add more locations pending project success. There are so many more benefits from product expansion than risk. This definitely makes the project more feasible. I am confident that this new product expansion will bring favorable results. It will result as the stepping stone to more successful product launches.

Chipotle Mexican Grill is a fast casual Mexican Restaurant that operates from the United States. Although the restaurant is specifically segmented to the fast casual Mexican restaurant market, it does not simply operate in this realm. Chipotle is also successful operating in the restaurant market as well. According to the Trefis Team (2014) Chipotle Mexican Grill has managed to take market share from restaurants in the fast food industry.

Changes in customer preferences, general economic conditions, discretionary spending priorities, demographic trends, traffic patterns and the type, number and location of competing restaurants have a moderate effect on the restaurant industry (Chipotle, 2010). One example of customer preferences being a driver in the industry is the “Whole Food-ism Movement” which has put a large focus on organic, antibiotic-free, and non-processed foods (Mansolillo, 2007). Consumers now look for healthier options when eating and an overall healthier lifestyle. Chipotle has been able to benefit from this movement by carrying on their “Food with Integrity” mission (Chipotle, 2010).

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).

Steve Ells is the founder and CEO of Chipotle. Steve is a trained chef and opened his first Chipotle store in 1993 at a former Dolly Madison ice cream store in Denver, Colorado. His goal was to serve high quality, delicious food quickly and in a “fast-casual” setting (Ells).

I believe one segment of the Chipotle customer population is the self-expression people. These people are the kind of customers that want to express their values of supporting the local farmers and the farmer’s mission of growing organic food and their way of supporting that movement is by patronizing this kind of restaurant.

Chipotle is facing numerous challenges due to the fact that E. coli outbreak which requires the corporation from the key stakeholders to keep it under control and apply the new food safety protocols which can aid to bring the regular customers back. Although the main cause remains a mystery, Chipotle’s E. coli outbreak has been authoritatively declared officially over by the experts. However, since the poisoning outbreak, the impact of the reduced number of customers affects the profit which the company used to enjoy before such eventuality (Scholes 27).

Chipotle is a fast casual dining establishment that serves Mexican cuisine, specializing in burritos and tacos. Like other fast casual restaurants, it does not offer full table service, but promises a higher quality of food with fewer frozen or processed ingredients than fast food restaurants. In fact, Chipotle is widely known for its mission to only use organic ingredients and