Company Description Chipotle first opened its doors in Denver, Colorado in 1993, setting out to create a new experience for the fast food diner. They put together a simple equation of fast, fresh and high-quality ingredients and looked to change how people viewed fast food forever. Their simplistic approach has expanded across the years and although they still strive for the same fast, fresh and high- quality concept their views have expanded to include sustainability as one of their main pillars. In visiting Chipotle’s website, it is adherently clear that they are trying to do a few things to overcome their recent faux pas from the past. Putting a majority of their site’s focus on their sustainability story, how they are helping the environment, …show more content…
As of 2016 there were 2,250 Chipotle restaurants worldwide. (Number of Chipotle Mexican Grill locations worldwide 2007-2016, 2017) Another interesting fact about Chipotle, is that in 1998 McDonald’s started investing in shares of Chipotle and by 2001 they had become the majority shareholder. In total McDonald’s invested over $360 million into Chipotle. (Myers, 2014) Although they have since split ways, the investment McDonald’s made into Chipotle helped to boost the growing power of the new to market concept burrito …show more content…
Chipotle is continuing to stay ahead of the curve and putting their focus now on the sustainability and farm to table concepts that are continuing to gain in popularity. Now we will look at some of Chipotle’s biggest competitors. Although there are many, we will be looking at the ones that are similar in genre of food and the fast and fresh concept. The main three competitors that have been identified are Moe’s Southwestern Grill, Qdoba and Fuzzy’s Taco Shop. All three competitors have their own unique competitive advantages and distinguish themselves separately amongst their
External environment analysis plays an important role in shaping the overall industry. It helps keep the business ahead of its competitors and providing opportunities for implementing innovative ideas. Based on demographic, Chipotle focuses majority of its sales on “Millennials”, who are between the ages 18 and 24. “Serving high quality food with reasonable prices” and the ability to customize your meal with a variety of different options in a fast paced environment is something many consumers are attracted to especially the younger generation. Chipotle’s first restaurant was established in Colorado but now they have restaurants all throughout the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and so much more, located primarily in urban areas.
The company is driven by a strong set of values, even if some of those decisions increase its costs internally. This is especially the case with the sourcing of its ingredients and meats. In fact, the high-quality ingredients and advanced cooking methods used by Chipotle are second to no other fast-food chain. Among recent developments, the leader in fast-casual dining concepts plans to become absolutely GMO-free by the end of 2014. Although the aim is not new, it shows Chipotle’s commitment to bring fresh ingredients to the table. Besides offering high-quality meals to its customers, the portions are generously sized and the value is unmatched. There are very few places that can fill you up for less that $10 with quality food, and not junk. The triad of fresh, pure ingredients, cutting-edge cooking methods, and tremendous portions gives Chipotle a mouthwatering appeal.
Chipotle Mexican Grill originated in Denver, Colorado in 1993. In 1998, McDonald’s became the majority shareholder; however, in 2006, McDonald’s divested its controlling interest. Chipotle became a public company listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2006. It currently has 1,083 locations across the United States and Canada. In May 2010, Chipotle expanded into Europe, opening their first restaurant in the United Kingdom. (Form 10-K Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc., 2011)
In recent years, it is not even necessary to turn on the news to hear about the bad reputation farming has been getting in recent years. With the media focusing on things like drugs in animals and Pink Slime, or Lean Finely Textured Beef, it is a wonder that people are eating “non-organic” foods. However, many pro-farming organizations have been trying to fight back against these slanders. Still, the battle is not without heavy competition, and a good portion of it comes from Chipotle, a fast food Mexican restaurant that claims to only use completely organic ingredients in their food. Chipotle is constantly introducing advertisements claiming to have the natural ingredients, while slandering the names of farmers everywhere.
Chipotles has taken the market share during their launch of the new Vegan option. “Chipotle Mexican Grill introduced Sofritas, the first vegan meal offered by a national fast food chain that's not a salad or a veggie burger.” (Neporent, 2013). Taco Bell and Chipotle share the same market share, and there is a potential that
Operations: Chipotle has set standards from when the food is bought, to when it's produced and to when it's sold. This quality control is performed by their Quality Assurance group, which foresees all of these positions.
Overall, it seems as though Chick-fil-A there are several main reasons that Chick-fil-A seems to continue to thrive and be successful. One reason has to do with how much the company makes their brand known and supports their brand. Another reason is that the company solely focuses on the product of chicken related products. Lastly, it seems as though Chick-fil-A’s community involvement keeps people coming back to eat and support Chick-fil-A overall. It will be interesting to see what journey
Chipotle is my favorite place to eat. As I am sure it is for other people. Chipotle is a fast food Mexican grill. They are most known for how big they make your burritos. Now it is fast food but it isn’t actually fast, they’re like a restaurant but without the wait. They serve all naturally raised meat and organic beans. So there food is pretty healthy and worth eating. The employees are always nice and it just a great place to eat over all. Chipotle is a great choice for a quick fast food stop because it gives great service, atmosphere, food and value. My experience there is always a good one.
Chipotle’s Chief Executive Officer, Steve Ells has been reputed for having started the restaurant chain in a unique way which has contributed to its apparent success over its main competitors. Chipotle business has grown exponentially from when it was first formed with most of this growth attributed to the founder’s control process in the business. When Steve Ells first got into the industry, he acknowledged the need for promoting innovation and
Chipotle competitive advantage or Strengths has come from the ingredients that come from sustainable sources. According to the MarketLine article about Chipotle Mexican Grill SWOT analysis "Chipotle serves food using naturally raised meat (pork, beef and chicken) and dairy cattle... in 2014 the company served over 155 million pounds of naturally raised meat." Chipotle cares for their customers because they are not giving us food that has hormones and addictive substances. Their competitive advantage has changed the company culture and mission Statement nowadays they called it now food with integrity, the idea that their food is made with the respect for the animals and the
The fast food restaurant industry, which includes quick-service and fast-casual restaurants, is highly segmented with the top 50 companies accounting for only 25% of the industry’s sales. The $120 billion industry includes over 200,000 restaurants with 50% of those specializing in hamburger entrees. (hoovers.com 2008) The major competitors in the industry include McDonald’s, Burger King, Taco Bell, Subway, and KFC – Chick-fil-A’s major competitor in chicken sales. Chick-fil-A’s unique position in the market, specializing in chicken-based entrées, has lead to a competitive advantage which the company has been able to capitalize on. Recently, many competitors have added chicken entrees in order to compete in the market segment. Through marketing strategies and company initiatives, Chick-fil-A has tried to stay distant from competitors, offering a fresh alternative to the ordinary fast food restaurant.
As you know, Chipotle values our “food with integrity” promise and our customers respect that. However, the recent E Coli outbreak has caused Chipotle’s financial performance and reputation to suffer significantly and staying with our current business model is not our best option. Therefore, I recommend we rebrand and reposition Chipotle to ensure our long-term success.
When Chipotle first opened in 1993, the goal was to serve quality food fast, but not be considered “fast food.” To avoid falling under the fast food stigma, Chipotle strives to find the best ingredients with respect to animals, farmers, and the environment. In order to achieve these goals, Chipotle has created a matrix organizational structure that is divisional by location and functional by authority. Chipotle recently expanded internationally to the United Kingdom, Germany, and France, each following strict guidelines assigned by corporate employees from their headquarters in Denver, Colorado. Similarly, each location is functionally organized according to authority: regional manager, district manager, store manager, assistant manager, and
o Having friendly people take care of customers. o All while increasing awareness and respect for the environment, by using organically grown fresh produce, and meats raised in a humane manner without hormones and antibiotics. Maintaining a limited menu allows Chipotle to focus on the quality of the products offered and create personalized dishes for their customers. The serving area is set up much like a buffet line, allowing customers to choose what items they want to include in their meals and are served instantly after completing their order.
In present time why is it so important to know where our food comes from? People will say it is important to know how our foods are being prepared because there can be major health issues when we consume chemically filled meals. Are the signs that say our goods come from a farm where animals are well treated true? Or are they all lies? The ad campaign for Chipotle title “The Scarecrow” are able to answer these questions. It may not directly provide the answer, but with a thorough analysis the answer could be unveiled.