Chipotle - Yay or Nay?

Being a full-time college student is a demanding task, and between going to classes and doing homework it isn’t very often we get the time to go out to dinner, let alone have the money for it. But, every now and then, it can be beneficial to take a break from the late nights stuck in your dorm room, eating ramen, and just be out in a new environment. For me, in these moments of weakness my first thought is, almost instinctually, “Guess I’m making a trip to Chipotle!” Last week another one of these cravings for adventure hit, and off I went with my best friend to Chipotle, which happens to be conveniently located down the street from my dorm here at ASU Tempe.

Over the course of the semester, Chipotle has earned the title of my favorite place to eat, and I make sure to hit it up at least once every two weeks. During this last visit, I decided to take a detective’s stance as to just what it is about Chipotle that makes it so appealing, particularly keeping in mind the service, the design of the restaurant, and finally its atmosphere overall.

            First, some background on Chipotle: the restaurant has had its doors wide open since 1993, starting right outside another college campus, University of Denver. Now, less than a decade later, it has over 1,200 locations across the world, 60,000 possible food combinations and boasts roughly 750,000 customers on a day-to-day basis. Founder Steve Ells’ mission statement for the restaurant is “Food with Integrity.” Did it live up to his own standards?

            There are a few things you notice right off the bat when you first walk into Chipotle. As soon as you step into this establishment, your foot has found itself at the back of a long line of hungry customers. However, it’s not something to fret about, as Chipotle does something quite different than the norm. On a typical day, you will rarely have a wait time of longer than 5 minutes - ten is stretching it - and I believe that is simply due to their well-thought process of handling their customers.

            Their system is very similar to that of an assembly line, with all the different options of rice, meat, beans, veggies, and toppings simply laid out in front of the customer. In fact, you can even see the entire cooking process going on behind the assembly line, and the warm, sizzling sounds and smells of frying peppers and carnitas are intoxicating to say the least! This makes anyone even slightly hungry waiting in that line antsy to get to the front and place their order – which, again, didn’t take long at all.

            Meanwhile, the workers seem to have a fast-paced, “get in, get out” attitude when it comes to putting your meal together, and are very conscientious of time-management. Not to say the staff is rude; far from it! The Chipotle employees I interacted with during this visit, and any I can recall for that matter, are generally friendly, positive, and upbeat. They make sure I’m completely satisfied with the job they’re doing, and although everyone in that line is being asked the same questions over and over – “White or brown rice?” “Black or pinto beans?” “Do you want a drink with that?” – it feels as though they are legitimately interested in your choices, like teamwork in building your meal, listening to what you have to say with as strong a vigor as if you were a loved one in their eyes. And maybe, you are. Even after I’ve ordered, there will always be one or two employees cleaning up tables, that even stop by each occupied table to confirm whether or not the group is having a pleasant time, or needs help with anything. During this last visit, my friend and I stayed there talking for about three hours, and were checked up on at least once each hour we were there. These little steps just verify, in my mind at least, that these are people that are truly passionate about their jobs, and strive to take care of their customers and ensure their happiness.

The design and atmosphere of Chipotle go pretty much hand in hand in making this restaurant what it is – unique. Being a design major, I can’t help but notice all the little artistic “quirks” that this restaurant has to offer its customers. Take the napkins, for example, or their cups. Each is adorned with its own, personalized message, submitted to the chain by customers themselves. Talk about getting close with your fans! They also play music in their restaurants, which they state on their website is very carefully selected by hand, and just boosts the whole creative, fun, positive energy of the room tenfold. Most are semi-quiet, acoustic/indie tunes – yet every song is different, and ranges from electronic (Vampire Weekend – Horchata) to the Jamaican swag of Bob Marley, to even the occasional rap song. Just like their food, their wide range of background music seems to be Chipotle’s way of letting the world know anyone and everyone is welcome here.

My frequent visits to Chipotle always make for an overwhelmingly positive experience, and have the magic to brighten up a gloomy day, in my book. True, the food is handed out in giant portions (I mean, have you seen their burritos?!), and full of carbs. But whether it’s because of, or in spite of this, Chipotle is what the definition of comfort food should be. It’s providing a warm, friendly atmosphere for a few friends to just get together and talk, over a plate of crunchy tacos or a rice bowl. For me, it’s less about the place, and more about the vibe it gives off. And Chipotle says, “Welcome friend, sit down, relax and have a good time.” That’s all this college student could ask for.

Sources:

1)    http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/chipotle-tells-consumers-make-your-own-99250

2)    www.chipotle.com

3)    http://www.statepress.com/archive/node/1628