Is Chipotle About to Dethrone McDonald’s?
Sep 26, 2024 · 8:58
Chipotle is on a collision course with McDonald's, argues Maxinomics, and its push into small-town America—39 of its last 100 U.S. stores opened in areas under 20,000 people—could make it the world's most valuable food service chain. McDonald's is currently worth triple Chipotle, but Chipotle matches it at about 100 calories per dollar with visibly higher-quality food. The episode explains how Chipotle's fresh, never-frozen model caused E. coli outbreaks that wiped out two-thirds of its value, forcing it to build RFID supply chain tracking no other restaurant company has. It also covers Chipotle's speed edge—1 minute 45 seconds per order versus McDonald's 4 minutes 46—and Chipotlanes, which raise store sales 10 to 15%.
