GLOBAL – Multinational fast casual restaurant chain Chipotle has appointed Scott Boatwright as its permanent CEO, the company said in an official press release on November 11.
Scott Boatwright, who has served as interim CEO of Chipotle since August after Brian Niccol’s transition to Starbucks, has a long-standing history with the company.
Prior to this interim role, Boatwright was Chipotle’s chief operating officer starting in 2017. Before joining Chipotle, he spent 18 years at Arby’s Restaurant Group in various senior leadership roles, ultimately as senior vice president of operations.
The board, following an extensive external search, confirmed in a press release that Boatwright was the ideal candidate to lead Chipotle’s next phase of growth. Under his leadership, Chipotle is expected to stay its current course.
During the company’s third-quarter earnings call, Boatwright affirmed the chain’s focus on operational efficiency, which has helped drive same-store sales even as other brands have struggled with customer retention.
As COO, Boatwright was a key advocate for integrating Chipotlanes in most new locations and played a significant role in advancing technology within the restaurants. He also emphasized building a culture aligned with Chipotle’s values, resulting in strong employee retention and operational improvements.
“The board overwhelmingly believes Scott will deliver on the key strategies in place and position the company for continued success,” stated Maw, reiterating the board’s confidence in his leadership.
In the fourth quarter, Chipotle began deploying AI-driven labor scheduling and started testing automated kitchen technology, including Hyphen’s makeline and Vebu’s Autocado, a machine designed to peel, core, and slice avocados.
Chipotle’s recent third-quarter performance demonstrated solid growth, with revenue reaching US$2.8 billion—up by 13% from the previous year. The chain achieved 6% comparable sales growth, supported by a 3% increase in transactions.
Key initiatives driving these results include expanding Chipotlane locations, enhancing technology, and introducing new menu items like Smoked Brisket, which resonated well with customers.
Additionally, digital sales maintained strong performance, comprising 34% of total sales, and Chipotle opened 86 new locations during the quarter.
The chain also announced it is expanding the role of expeditors, staff positioned between salsa stations and cash registers—to optimize throughput during peak hours.
Other initiatives include testing a produce slicer to support ingredient prep and introducing dual-sided grills to improve cooking speed and consistency.
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