OPINIONOperations

Will Chipotle's new concept be the one that gets traction?

Restaurant Rewind: Earlier diversification attempts have been short-lived. Here’s what went wrong in those efforts.

After a string of scrapped launches, Chipotle Mexican Grill is trying again to establish a second restaurant brand.  Will its secret startup find the staying power that escaped the previous ventures?

With the test of a bowl concept looking like a “go” for the burrito powerhouse, this week’s Restaurant Rewind podcast delves into those earlier stabs at diversification. Host and Restaurant Business Editor At Large Peter Romeo fires up the time machine for a recount of Chipotle’s short-lived incursions into the Asian, pizza and burger markets, and why those experiments never grew beyond about 15 units.

What has the high-flying company learned from ShopHouse Asian Kitchen, Pizzeria Locale and Tasty Made that enhance the chances of success for the new venture, which is going by the name Farmesa?

Download this and every episode of Restaurant Rewind for the context past situations can provide on modern-day developments of import.

Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.

Multimedia

Exclusive Content

Operations

Hitting resistance elsewhere, ghost kitchens and virtual concepts find a happy home in family dining

Reality Check: Old-guard chains are finding the alternative operations to be persistently effective side hustles.

Financing

The Tijuana Flats bankruptcy highlights the dangers of menu miscues

The Bottom Line: The fast-casual chain’s problems following new menu debuts in 2021 and 2022 show that adding new items isn’t always the right idea.

Financing

For Papa Johns, the CEO departure came at the wrong time

The Bottom Line: The pizza chain worked to convince franchisees to buy into a massive marketing shift. And then the brand’s CEO left.

Trending

More from our partners