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2026-02-10 Economy
Chipotle Seeks Wealthier Customer Base
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Posted by DooDahMan 2026-02-10 03:41|| E-Mail|| Front Page|| [1792 views ]  Top

1 Fewer fists fights at the counter.
Posted by Super Hose 2026-02-10 06:20||   2026-02-10 06:20|| Front Page Top

2 Racist
Posted by BrerRabbit 2026-02-10 06:34||   2026-02-10 06:34|| Front Page Top

3 The concepts of wealthier customer base and major fast-casual food chain do not mix.

Is there something in the water at MBA schools that insist on dropping your existing customer base for unproven alternatives?
Posted by Procopius2k 2026-02-10 06:40||   2026-02-10 06:40|| Front Page Top

4 ^There is something that gives them an urge to destroy businesses (I've taught calculus to MBAs).
Posted by Grom the Affective 2026-02-10 06:51||   2026-02-10 06:51|| Front Page Top

5 Given the current inflation rates of food and other basic household items.
Even the Middle Class won't be buying as much take out. Since Chipotle was founded in 1993, there has been a 122.8% inflation rate and wages and income is not keeping up.

eg.
Fiscal Year 2,000 Retirees are screwed, having lost 87% of their buying power.

Posted by NN2N1 2026-02-10 06:51||   2026-02-10 06:51|| Front Page Top

6 Chipotle wants to become Fouquet's or the French Laundry? Go for it. I'm a 'Waffle Houser' myself, have been for decades. Chipotle, not so much.
Posted by Besoeker 2026-02-10 08:17||   2026-02-10 08:17|| Front Page Top

7 I knew you had that 'crispy hash browns' air about you, B.
Posted by Skidmark 2026-02-10 08:29||   2026-02-10 08:29|| Front Page Top

8 I'd rather eat at the local family-owned taco shop where I know the owner, cooks, and lovely lady at the register (sister with 5 kids). Even there, it's not cheap, but the carne (and pollo) asada is cooked on a grill you can see, the chips are fresh
Posted by Frank G 2026-02-10 08:36||   2026-02-10 08:36|| Front Page Top

9 There have been a number of food poisoning incidents at Chipotle

Perhaps, having firmly established a position in the low-rent biohazzard market segment, the MBAs are now reaching out for a new customer base - one with money willing to show up. Might want to add more ferns to the decor.
Posted by SteveS 2026-02-10 09:58||   2026-02-10 09:58|| Front Page Top

10 Too expensive and too risky for getting sick. Haven't been there in years. Much prefer other places.
Posted by Silentbrick 2026-02-10 10:04||   2026-02-10 10:04|| Front Page Top

11 Waffle House Tobacco Rd. 3 miles from Gate 5 Ft. Gordon. 5/5 when "Red" is mgr. She has a memory for her customers. Have watched her escort out some pretty Bad A$$es. BTW: Extra Crispy Hash Browns, Potato chip crisp both sides with 2 Grilled Pork chops and a drink under $15. I-75 Exit 212 also a good local.
Posted by NN2N1 2026-02-10 11:13||   2026-02-10 11:13|| Front Page Top

12 their grounded purpose aligns with our North Star as a brand

Oh shut the fuck up with that, that corporate jibber jabber. Say what you will about gay poetry degrees, they'd come up with something better than that.

#1 and #2 collectively say what my initial thought was, an excuse to shut down undesirable locations and frame the future opening locales; don't want that 'creating a food desert' shake-down. And no food truck competition.

And yes. These mid level corporate sit down food stations have been serving TV Dinners for decades now.
Posted by swksvolFF 2026-02-10 11:35||   2026-02-10 11:35|| Front Page Top

13 The perfect is the enemy of the good. There's no way a team of outside consultants is going to review a successful business and not come up with 25 recommendations that (in theory) will make the good business much better.
Posted by Matt 2026-02-10 11:52||   2026-02-10 11:52|| Front Page Top

14 Pupusas Castro, food truck in their yard out on a country road near me. $20 fed wife and me and then leftovers fed us again.
Posted by Glenmore 2026-02-10 12:50||   2026-02-10 12:50|| Front Page Top

15 Not a good look for a company founded by college students for college students. Worked as a Kitchen Manager for them for just over a year during the bad ol days of Obama.
Posted by Rex Mundi 2026-02-10 13:04||   2026-02-10 13:04|| Front Page Top

16 The customer base of Chipotle is already heavily upper middle class. As numerous commenters have pointed out, pop ups, food trucks, micro biz are where you go for lower cost.
Posted by Lord Garth 2026-02-10 14:26||   2026-02-10 14:26|| Front Page Top

17 Minimum wage in California fast food restaurants is $20/hour so it's no surprise if they have to raise prices. Those fast food workers will find their wage increase is eaten by inflation.
Posted by Abu Uluque 2026-02-10 14:48||   2026-02-10 14:48|| Front Page Top

18 Carson City Chipotle was last stop for me, about 9 months ago. They cheaped out the staek, lots of fat a gristle cuts, and that was the last straw for me.
Posted by NoMoreBS 2026-02-10 15:04||   2026-02-10 15:04|| Front Page Top

19 Taco Prada? Good luck.
Posted by Megabyses 2026-02-10 15:51||   2026-02-10 15:51|| Front Page Top

23:32 Seeking Cure For Ignorance
23:01 Skidmark
22:55 Skidmark
21:24 Gerthudion Bucket9415
19:46 Knuckles Grundy1702
19:25 Thing From Snowy Mountain
18:48 trailing wife
18:30 Super Hose
18:28 Super Hose
18:26 trailing wife
18:22 Super Hose
18:17 Super Hose
17:56 Bangkok Billy
17:48 European Conservative
17:33 Mercutio
16:39 chris
16:05 Procopius2k
15:51 Megabyses
15:40 swksvolFF
15:31 Abu Uluque
15:30 Old Salty
15:21 Old Salty
15:17 Abu Uluque
15:04 NoMoreBS
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