Chipotle CEO Scott Boatwright is under pressure to drive traffic this year. He doesn’t want to steal ideas from McDonald’s, which drove in guests with a value menu (and Grinch socks).
But he might borrow an idea from Chili’s.
After reporting a full year of negative same-store sales and traffic in 2025 last week, Boatwright is getting more aggressive with marketing, promising a lot more new menu news with a focus on improving the brand’s perception for value. One idea being developed is a potential “Happier Hour,” or a period between lunch and dinner when menu items might be offered as a bundle with beverages—something Chili’s has had great success with, including $6 margaritas and the virally famous Triple Dipper appetizer platter.
Chipotle said its Happier Hour is still taking shape. And it will be tested, so specifics are not yet available.
But Boatwright told Yahoo Finance that they are considering a Happier Hour deal of something like a couple of tacos and a beverage for less than $10, which he argued would expand the later daypart and bring in new guests.
Happy Hours, of course, are nothing new in the casual dining world. But a growing number of limited-service chains, from Sonic to Taco Bell, have used Happy Hour promotions to drive traffic in the late afternoon.
Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, for example, last year launched a new Happy Hour on weekdays for dine-in only, offering items for $5 and under, like a Classic Original Taco for $2.50, a premium taco for $3.50, Chips and queso for $4 and various drinks, like a house Margarita for $4, or a Modelo (18 oz.) draft for $5.
Fuzzy’s, however, offers a full bar and is inching more toward casual dining with a hybrid service model. Most Chipotle locations offer some alcohol, like a bottled beer or margarita, but booze is not a big factor.
At Chipotle, Happier Hour deals are more likely to take shape as a variation on bundled meals, rather than straight-up dollar-menu discounts. Shake Shack, for example, last year said the offer of bundled meals helped improve the perception of value at that premium brand.
Boatwright just doesn’t believe in discounting.
“Our food is worth, in my mind, every penny we ask someone to pay for it,” he said on Yahoo Finance. “I don’t want to devalue our core offering. It just doesn’t make sense for us.
What he really wants is for consumers to recognize the fact that the average price of a chicken burrito at Chipotle is still under $10.
“If you think about value the way I do, which is benefit over price, we have the best ingredients in the world, prepared in restaurants with classic culinary techniques and an abundance, variety and speed you can’t really get elsewhere for under $10. That’s value in my mind for all people, regardless of income cohort,” he said.
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