2005 Consumers' Choice in Chains: Mexican
Chipotle

Providing the freshest product possible to its customers remains at the heart of Chipotle’s success.

Passionate in its belief that better-tasting food comes from ingredients that include organic fruits and vegetables and hormone-free meats, Chipotle has no plans to back away from the philosophy even as the chain expands.

“It’s important to understand how animals are raised and vegetables grown so the company can get the best raw ingredients,” says Chris Arnold, public relations director for Chipotle. “Sourcing the best raw ingredients is the only way to serve the best-tasting food.”

The words are more than just a business strategy to Chipotle. They embody the concept’s manifesto and the core from which it builds a customer base. Currently, there are 450 units, with plans to build 100 more next year.

“We’ve always looked to turn people on to Chipotle one customer, one burrito and one restaurant at a time,” Arnold says. “As the company has gotten bigger, that hasn’t changed, but growth has allowed us to reach more people just through our sheer size.”

A significant initiative for the chain includes an expansion of what it calls “food with integrity,” providing more locally grown raw ingredients that allow operators to know exactly how the products were grown or raised.

“We started with all ‘fresh’ ingredients, but now we think that fresh isn’t enough,” he says.

In fact, it recently was determined that salsas tasted better when made with hand-cut onions and tomatoes. That’s now how they’re prepared each day.

Shizzle Schtick
With its simple, precise menu, Chipotle says the beauty of what it does lies within the imaginations of their customers. Throughout the concept’s 12 years of operation, the menu largely has consisted of burritos, tacos and the popular burrito “bol”—a burrito without the tortilla wrap.

“Which isn’t to say there’s no variety in our food,” says Arnold. “But customers can choose exactly what goes into their order so there’s still a lot of room for variation and flexibility. Our philosophy in this area has been to focus on doing just a few things, but doing them better than anyone else.”

Just the same, Chipotle recently has introduced a new item, one it is rolling out to all of its stores. The salad offering is made with fresh-cut romaine lettuce, choice of beans, meat (grilled chicken or steak), salsas and cheese, much in the same way as the burrito and taco offerings. Each is served with chipotle-honey vinaigrette made daily on premise. Arnold says that the salads have been well received in markets they’ve debuted and should be available at all locations by fall.

Chipotle is known for its clever marketing campaigns featuring foil-wrapped burritos with cheeky slogans such as “Foil Again” and “Foil Shizzle.” But while their approach may seem Gen-X, Arnold says they’ve caught on across demographic lines.

“Our restaurants are doing well in both urban and suburban areas,” he says. “We increasingly see parents with young children as well as older people coming into the restaurants.” Conveying that it is more than a hip brand means talking in-house with customers about the food itself.

“Managers and crews are very knowledgeable about our food and how it’s prepared and love talking to patrons about the menu,” Arnold says. “Customers can tell when service is genuine and when it isn’t, and it can’t be great service without being real.”

Gold Winner
Choice in Chains contender Baja Fresh looks to stimulate more than the appetites of its customers.

“When people come to Baja Fresh their senses come alive,” says Brion Grube, CEO of the Thousand Oaks, Calif.-based chain.

This year finds the chain introducing several new items to its menu, including two specialty salads that provide product alternatives for customers. By year’s end, Baja Fresh plans to completely roll out Carnitas, tender marinated pork that is slow-cooked and will be available for burritos, tacos and quesadillas.

“We are focusing attention on continuing to develop innovative and craveable products to meet the needs of our customers and provide excellent variety,” Grube says.

Crystal Winner
Look for a new menu and new unit design at On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina.

Come 2006, the Dallas-based chain will offer new food and beverage items as well as two limited-time offers launched this summer and early fall.

“We provide variety through our different menu segments,” says Julie Cary, vice president of marketing, culinary and beverage. “A rigorous consumer-testing process harnesses the voice of the guest in menu, advertising and prototype development.”

Providing a steady stream of new items is a hallmark of On The Border. In 2005, its Double Stacked Club Quesadillas proved why the strategy works.

“The quesadillas have been our most successful item this year,” says Cary. “They exceeded our sales-per-day expectations and satisfied the consumers’ craving for cheese in a familiar, yet new way.”