Chipotle Testing Digital-Centric Restaurant Design
By Travis Riffe • December 19, 2019
Chipotle announced Thursday it’s testing a new restaurant design intended to leverage the rapid growth in its digital business, which jumped 88 percent, year-over-year, in the third quarter to account for 18.3 percent of company sales. Chipotle is trialing the prototype in four new units of the following types: an urban store front, standalone restaurant with a Chipotlane pick-up window and an endcap location with a Chipotlane. They will be located in Chicago, Cincinnati, and two stores in Phoenix. The brand will assess the performance of each restaurant for transactions, guest feedback and the ability to incorporate future menu innovations, among other metrics, before deciding which design to launch nationally.