{"id":4217,"date":"2015-12-09T00:13:12","date_gmt":"2015-12-09T05:13:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital.hbs.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/how-chipotle-revolutionized-fast-food\/"},"modified":"2015-12-09T16:05:06","modified_gmt":"2015-12-09T21:05:06","slug":"how-chipotle-revolutionized-fast-food","status":"publish","type":"hck-submission","link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/how-chipotle-revolutionized-fast-food\/","title":{"rendered":"How Chipotle Revolutionized Fast Food"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i4tsk12in2b2y7uts14c528g-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/12\/Chipotle_Mexican_Grill_logo.svg_.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-4235\" src=\"https:\/\/i4tsk12in2b2y7uts14c528g-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/12\/Chipotle_Mexican_Grill_logo.svg_-300x300.png\" alt=\"Chipotle_Mexican_Grill_logo.svg\" width=\"218\" height=\"218\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/12\/Chipotle_Mexican_Grill_logo.svg_-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/12\/Chipotle_Mexican_Grill_logo.svg_-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2015\/12\/Chipotle_Mexican_Grill_logo.svg_.png 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 218px) 100vw, 218px\" \/><\/a>Chipotle has delivered on its mission &#8220;to change the way people think about and eat fast food&#8221; with overwhelming success. Steve Ells, founder of the burrito chain, revolutionized\u00a0the fast food industry\u00a0with his\u00a0commitment to high-quality &#8220;food with integrity&#8221; prepared using classic cooking techniques at only slightly higher prices than established fast food chains.<\/p>\n<p>Most fast food chains drive labor efficiency by using frozen food which requires minimal preparation (\u201cfreeze, heat and serve\u201d model), maximizing automation and paying workers as little as possible. Chipotle is only able to deliver high-quality without moving to a dramatically higher price point\u00a0efficiently and profitably by delivering a series of remarkable operating model innovations (outlined below), many of which originally ran counter to the conventional wisdom regarding what made fast food restaurants successful.<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>Operating Model Innovations<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"A Day in the Life at Chipotle\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/DMRL7qrBl7w?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><em>1)\u00a0Assembly Line:<\/em><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>Ells was initially struck by the possibility of a concept like Chipotle when he was exposed to an extremely efficient assembly line approach employed by a small taqueria in San Francisco.\u00a0The assembly line approach, coupled with other elements of the operating model like the simple menu, drives remarkably high throughput at Chipotle stores while also enabling considerable customization as discussed below. Chipotle has established \u201cfour pillars\u201d of throughput to enable a fast assembly line experience: (i) a dedicated expeditor working just before the cashier to bag orders and get drinks &amp; sides; (ii) a dedicated linebacker who makes sure the serving line is always stocked so employees on the line can stay focused; (iii) proper preparation (spend hours preparing food so it can be ready in seconds at the right time); (iv) ensuring they have \u201caces in their places\u201d (i.e., the best employees at each position)\u00a0at the busiest times.<\/p>\n<p><em>2) Simple Menu:<\/em><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>When Chipotle first started, they only offered burritos and tacos. This simplicity enabled its restaurants to be extremely efficient despite the decision to use classic cooking methods like marinating &amp; grilling meats and hand-cutting produce rather than taking shortcuts like all fast food restaurants. This also limited waste, facilitating the ability to buy higher-quality ingredients and manage costs. The beauty is that despite the simple menu, customers can choose from four different meats (as well as tofu as of recently), two types of beans and a variety of\u00a0toppings as part of the assembly line ordering experience without affecting throughput. This customization opportunity is a key component of the value proposition which falls naturally out of the operating model.\u00a0Over time, burrito bowls and salads were introduced to accommodate emerging diets and consumer preferences\u00a0without\u00a0adding much complexity to the assembly line.<\/p>\n<p><em>3) People Culture:<\/em>\u00a0Intense focus on recruiting, training and empowering hard working employees who provide great customer service. All employees, regardless of their position, are encouraged to interact with customers as much as possible. Employees are cross-trained so each can work at a variety of stations, allowing them to be more efficient at the busiest times and to develop a wider array of skills. Chipotle pays employees more than other fast food chains, but always expects a great deal more \u2013 and dismisses employees who don\u2019t deliver. They have a robust employee training program and promote from within as much as possible, offering the potential for hourly workers to become store managers making over $100K \/ year (95% of Chipotle\u2019s restaurant managers are promoted from within). All of these elements combine to make employees highly engaged and capable of delivering customer service and quality far superior to that of competitors. Based on a recent survey, 90% of employees are proud to work at Chipotle and 97% believe they work in an empowered culture where top performed are rewarded.<\/p>\n<p><em>4) Ingredient Sourcing:<\/em> To deliver on its &#8220;food with integrity&#8221; promise and help its food taste better, Chipotle uses very different ingredients than the rest of the fast food industry. Chipotle sources more meat from animals raised in humane ways without the use of antibiotics or added hormones than any other restaurant company, and has committed to using locally and organically grown produce whenever possible. The firm is highly committed to continuous improvement in sustainable ingredient sourcing.<\/p>\n<p><em>5) Distinctive Interior Design:<\/em> Chipotle&#8217;s open kitchen enables customers to clearly see them using high-quality ingredients and using high-end, classic cooking techniques in the preparation process. Their design is very simplistic and enables low cost expansion.<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>Summary of Business &amp; Operating Model Alignment<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Chipotle&#8217;s business model is to deliver high-quality, conventionally cooked Mexican food that customers love, commanding a small price premium to traditional fast food chains and attracting a more affluent customer base while still achieving many of the cost efficiencies of the fast food industry. The driver of their resounding success is the operating model.<\/p>\n<p>Chipotle\u2019s assembly line and limited menu enable restaurants to deliver food with best-in-class efficiency without sacrificing quality or ability to customize. Chipotle\u2019s fastest restaurants run at &gt;350 transactions per hour at lunchtime and still find a way to draw extremely loyal customers back time and again. The emphasis on culture contributes to a highly engaged and efficient front-line workforce that delivers consistently strong customer service and consistently high-quality food \u2013 no easy task in a large organization with minimal automation. Their ingredient sourcing enables them to offer fresher, better tasting food at scale without supply disruptions. Their open kitchen and simple interior design reinforces the fact that they use fresh ingredients, prepared right in front of the customer using classic cooking techniques. Controlling each of these elements is so important to Chipotle that the company does not franchise because\u00a0of how important streamlined operations are to each restaurant&#8217;s success.<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>Results<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Today, Chipotle is the leader in the massive \u201cfast casual\u201d category, partly as a result of the incredible alignment between the business and operating model. 2014 revenue was ~$4 billion, same-store sales growth was over 15% for the year (unheard of in the industry for such a large company) and new store openings continue to be robust. The firm\u2019s unit economics continue to be remarkable, with annual sales per restaurant of ~$2.5 million and restaurant-level operating margins of ~28%, among the best in the fast food industry.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><u>Sources<\/u><\/p>\n<p>i. Chipotle 2014 Annual Report:\u00a0http:\/\/ir.chipotle.com\/phoenix.zhtml?c=194775&amp;p=irol-reportsAnnual<\/p>\n<p>ii. Chipotle Press Release: http:\/\/ir.chipotle.com\/phoenix.zhtml?c=194775&amp;p=RssLanding&amp;cat=news&amp;id=2081437<\/p>\n<p>iii. Bloomberg: http:\/\/www.bloomberg.com\/graphics\/2015-chipotle-oral-history\/<\/p>\n<p>iv. Business Insider: http:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/steve-ells-and-the-rise-of-chipotle-2012-6?op=1<\/p>\n<p>v. Fast Company: http:\/\/www.fastcompany.com\/3027647\/lessons-learned\/how-chipotle-changed-american-fast-food-forever<\/p>\n<p>vi. Restaurant Business Online: http:\/\/www.restaurantbusinessonline.com\/ideas\/50-great-ideas\/chipotles-pillars-throughput<\/p>\n<p>vii. Entrepreneur: http:\/\/www.entrepreneur.com\/article\/226997<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chipotle broke all of the fast food industry&#039;s rules and created a wildly successful restaurant concept by delivering high quality food fast with an operating model rooted in a unique culture, assembly line approach and simple menu.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1241,"featured_media":4339,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","categories":[246,245,742,32,7],"class_list":["post-4217","hck-submission","type-hck-submission","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-assembly-line","category-chipotle","category-culture","category-fast-casual","category-winner"],"connected_submission_link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/assignment\/the-tom-challenge-tom-winners-and-losers-assignment\/","yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How Chipotle Revolutionized Fast Food - 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