Chipotle is redesigning some of its restaurants
The chain is revamping six of its American restaurants by adding walk-up windows and digital pick-up portals for online orders. The new restraurants will place a larger emphasis on the Chipotlane concept, which lets customers order online and pick up their food through a drive-thru lane. It’s also creating unobstructed views of the kitchen to show how the food is made.
Chipotle’s “digital transformation” is about “giving people more access and driving even further into this idea of a frictionless experience,” Niccol said. The company plans to continue leaning into tech, he added, noting that the “Chipotlanes” will likely “be a significant piece of our business.”
Restaurants in Chicago, Cincinnati, Newport Beach, San Diego and Phoenix will have the redesign first. Chipotle will then assess guest feedback and examine store performance before expanding the redesign nationally.
Digital sales grew 90% in the third quarter and the company says it’s a $1 billion business. The stock is up 90% for the year.