As one of America’s pioneers in fast-casual dining, Chipotle Mexican Grill provides a markedly different experience than the fast-food stereotype that we have come to know. It is known as a healthier alternative to the greasy, additive-loaded meals of other chains that endure the blame over America’s obesity epidemic. Often, Chipotle is touted as a staple of the millennial generation. Given the increased scrutiny from their target market about corporate social responsibility, Chipotle’s mission is to implement business practices that are sustainable, which is particularly apparent when measuring the company against competitors. Their message, like the menu, is simple: Food with Integrity. Unlike the humble beginnings storyline central to the messaging of many large corporations, Chipotle’s inception strays away from this narrative. After preparation from a prestigious culinary school and training at an upscale eatery in San Francisco, Steve Ells was a classically-trained chef with a dream; he wanted to open his own fine-dining restaurant (Daszkowski). Without the necessary capital, Ells settled on opening a less expensive operation to fund his future ambitions,
During the process of tweaking recipes, Ells realized he had never gone to the source of his food, the farms. McDonald’s invited him to one of their partner farms (Stock and Wong). Frankly, Ells returned from the trip disgusted by the poor conditions (Stock and Wong). Instead of a large commercial farm, Ells made the choice to switch to a smaller, local farm as a supplier and was surprised at the substantial difference in quality of Chipotle’s carnitas recipe (Stock and Wong). The change, of course, translated to higher costs, to McDonald’s dismay. This prompted Chipotle to make the decision, higher profit margins or better quality food. Ultimately, the choice was obvious for
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.
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. What 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 having 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 name of farmers everywhere. Perhaps the most well-known is “The Scarecrow,” a three minute ad that features some of the most haunting images Chipotle has ever featured. While “The Scarecrow” uses tear-inducing images and the almost eerie music to entice the audience to the company’s “free-range farming” ideals, it lacks substantial logos yet, it still
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
For 85 years, Publix Super Markets, Inc. (Publix), a nationwide chain, has set the precedent for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustainability. With an added emphasis on the past 15 years due to the implementation of their Green Routine program, Publix has become the gold-standard of sustainability, with comprehensive philanthropic initiatives that support and intertwine housing, education, food security, technology, and more. Publix is taking strides to become more sustainable, environmentally friendly, and beneficial to the local community. By breaking down sustainability into 3 core concepts: social justice, environmental integrity, and economic prosperity, an analysis can be made about the current Publix sustainability
Simpson, S. (2015). Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc.: Strategy with a Higher Mission or Farmed and
Chipotle Mexican Grill idea of providing quality in a simple menu with high-quality ingredients, classic cooking techniques and a distinctive interior design has remained at the core of the commitment. Chipotle ability to serve a menu that focuses only on servicing burritos, burrito bowls, tacos and salads is a success. Customers can mix and match their options even though they are only limited to meats, beans, rice, salsa and topping. These ingredients are mostly organically grown from local farmers to provide top-quality nutrition and value. To keep up the quality of their food, Chipotle food preparation remains fundamental. It is mainly prepared from scratch and on site but some preparations are completed at nearby commissaries. This contributes to their fresh taste.
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.
1.1 Brief History Chipotle Mexican Grill was founded 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.
Zinczenko shares his personal story about how fast-food restaurants such as Taco Bell and McDonald’s led to a weight problem during his high-school years. He claims that the ease of accessibility and lack of healthy alternatives make it all too easy to fall into the cycle of unhealthy eating. Zinczenko also contends that the lack of nutrition labels on fast-food products leaves the consumer in the dark about what he or she is actually consuming. At the time Zinczenko wrote his article, fast-food restaurants were not willingly disclosing nutritional values of their products. Today this has changed. Fast-food companies, including McDonald’s, have put the full nutritional information of their products directly on the packaging and wrappers. All other fast-food establishments either post it on the menu board (Panera), offer easy access to pamphlets containing all nutritional information of their menu in store, or have it easily accessible online (Taco Bell, KFC). I am sure that this is a helpful step forward toward educating the public as to what they are consuming, but has this new knowledge to consumers had a dramatic change toward ending obesity? No. People have always known that eating a Big Mac and fries with the giant soft drinks that McDonald’s and other chains offer is not healthy; putting the nutritional labels on these items has done little to nothing to stop people from eating these high-calorie meals. This again leads back to the point that people as consumers need to be more accountable to themselves and stop blaming others for what they willingly choose to put in their
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.
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
The success of Panera’s competitive strategy is based on the company’s ability to create value for customers, effectively expand their reach through new locations, and their ability to exercise financial control of their operations. Panera has created a valuable experience for their customers by combining the casual atmosphere of a coffee shop with the quality of a sandwich shop and the expedited service of a fast food establishment. Furthermore, Panera experienced incredible progress from 1999 to 2003 based on their well planned growth strategy. The company avoided the limited growth experienced by restaurants in urban areas by strategically placing their new locations in areas that were pre...
The Santa Fe Grill is a relatively new Mexican restaurant that was started by two former business students from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. The idea sparked after the two roommates who were both interested in pursuing entrepreneurial interests decided that a Mexican restaurant in their city would be highly successful. While taking an entrepreneur class at the University, the plan for the business began coming together. Their main focus was to create a restaurant that would feature the freshest ingredients, as well as a lively atmosphere, cutting edge advertising and marketing, plus exceptional service for customers. (Research Methods, Pg. 19) By doing so, the students hoped that they could fulfill their dreams of ownership.
Focusing on the well being of the customers should be the main focus of any major company, especially fast food companies. By reducing the amount of unhealthy choices for children and replacing them with nutritional foods, the nation’s youth will benefit.
When researching McDonald’s through online sources, it is clear that nutrition is a major concern of the public visiting the fast-food chain. Secondary research conducted shows that there are several case studies and other secondary source searches around the same topic. McDonald’s has often been the center of nutritional attention within the fast-food industry. Secondary research shows that the restaurant has recently made changes to the American Happy Meal to reduce the amount of French fries offered and replace the portion with fruit (Strom, 2011). In a study conducted by McDonald’s a secondary source reports the meal cuts calories by 20% for the children’s meal (Strom, 2011). This is a critical move by the organization on children’s obesity is currently a hot topic within food chains and attention is driven by the Obama administration. Secondary research also shows that although the public has major health concerns with the food chain, profits are increasing during a high point of an economic recession (Dahan & Gittens, 2008). Acco...