To bolster the success of its billion-dollar digital business, Chipotle is testing a new restaurant design in four locations with types that include an urban storefront, a standalone restaurant with a Chipotlane and an endcap unit with a Chipotlane—a modernized drive-thru lane.
In urban areas, pick-up portals and walk-up windows have the potential to make it easier for people passing by to quickly and conveniently grab a meal or a snack on the run. Within the restaurants, Chipotle is also testing designs that emphasize transparency with arrangements that offer sightlines into the kitchen where fresh food is prepared.
Based on the performance and feedback received on these designs, Chipotle may choose to introduce the innovations nationally.
Digital-Friendly Mexican Eateries
Chipotle's New Restaurant Design Supports Its Digital Business
Trend Themes
1. Pick-up Portals and Walk-up Windows - Implementing pick-up portals and walk-up windows in urban areas can provide convenient and fast meal options for people on the go.
2. Transparency in Restaurant Design - Designing restaurants with transparent arrangements that offer sightlines into the kitchen can enhance customer trust and highlight the preparation of fresh food.
3. Modernized Drive-thru Lanes - Introducing modernized drive-thru lanes, such as Chipotle's Chipotlane, can improve the efficiency and convenience of ordering and picking up food from a restaurant.
Industry Implications
1. Fast Food - Fast food chains can incorporate pick-up portals, walk-up windows, and transparent restaurant designs to enhance the customer experience and meet the needs of busy consumers.
2. QSR (quick Service Restaurants) - QSR brands can explore the implementation of modernized drive-thru lanes to streamline the ordering and pickup process, offering improved convenience for customers.
3. Restaurant Design - The restaurant design industry can focus on creating innovative solutions that prioritize transparency and functionality, catering to the changing preferences of customers in the digital age.