1. The other menu revamp
Pressure from investors would ease considerably for the company if one of Chipotle’s sideline businesses were offsetting the blah performance of the mother brand. The operator has been virtually mute about its largest side project, the Pizzeria Locale chain (where we expect outgoing CEO Steve Ells to devote more time once he actually steps away). But there was confirmation this week that it’s not forgotten the potential of Tasty Made, a homegrown better-burger venture.
Just two months after taking over leadership of the one-unit experiment from Ells, celebrity chef Richard Blais has revamped and greatly expanded the menu of Tasty Made, a concept remarkably similar to In-N-Out. Part of the likeness was featuring a bill of fare largely limited to a few variations of burgers and fries.
Those are still the lone building blocks of a Tasty Made order, but the variations have multiplied exponentially. Patrons of the lone unit can now order a new signature, The Tasty Made, a double cheeseburger that sounds conspicuously like In-N-Out’s Double Double.
Heft is delivered in a variety of ways. A new burger called The Mighty Made features three patties. And it can be bulked up with however many additional patties the customer would like, at a price of $1.50 each.
The sandwiches are also available now as part of combo meals, instead of merely a la carte.