Business Analysis Example: Chipotle Restaurant

What makes a good Chipotle restaurant? Some argue the service is the most vital component to their Chipotle experience, while others insist it is the quality of the ingredients being used in their fancied burritos and bowls. However, it is a widespread belief among Chipotle advocates that the effectiveness of a Chipotle restaurant varies drastically from location to location. Chipotle is one of the most visited and appreciated restaurants in the city of Colorado Springs, so it is only fair the residents and cadets of the United States Air Force Academy deserve a fair review of how the Chipotle located off of North Academy Blvd stacks up to the rest. Thus, I will evaluate the quality of ingredients, grade of service, restaurant atmosphere, and cleanliness, in order to ensure the success of one’s Chipotle experience. 

In order to properly conduct a review, we must dive into the history of this globally cherished restaurant chain. In 1993, just 70 miles north of Colorado Springs, the first-ever Chipotle hit the ground running in Denver, CO near the University of Denver campus. To his disbelief, the owner Steve Ells, quickly clued in on its potential for future success (https://www.thebalancesmb.com/history-of-chipotle-mexican-grill-3973222). Today, Chipotle is considered one of the fastest-growing restaurant chains in America and has the reputation of crafting the best Mexican-American food in the world. Many argue the franchise is an American gem that reaches higher than any of its competitors with no complaints in sight. So enough of the history, let’s get over to this Chipotle and begin the review!

The first aspect that I found intriguing was the restaurant’s atmosphere. Upon taking my first steps into the store, I immediately noticed how quaint it felt inside. The modest size and a narrow walkway to the food counter radiated a homely feeling. The upbeat, cross-genre music and strong grill scents of sweet barbacoa welcomed me in reminding me of the countless visits I’ve made to Chipotle. As I followed the infamous corrugated metal fencing to the counter, I noticed it was an older restaurant by the dated décor, lower ceilings, and traditional Chipotle floor plan. Nothing quite like the newer Chipotles I had visited with their altitudinous ceilings and bright, vibrant lights. Peculiarly, the tables were not as full as I was used to seeing during the typical lunch rush hour on a Saturday afternoon. Before I reached the counter, I concluded that the restaurant’s atmosphere was a bit bleak. Decorated yelp reviewer and longtime customer Steve even noted, “The restaurant felt very gloomy. Not somewhere I would pick as my first choice to eat a meal” (google review). Although the atmosphere seemed a bit off from other Chipotle restaurants I had visited, I brushed it off and hurried to the counter to feed my rambling stomach. 

The next aspect that was evaluated was the quality of the food. As I approached the food counter, I ordered my usual order: A burrito bowl with white rice, black beans, chicken, cheese, guacamole, corn, and certainly a warm tortilla on the side. However, I had to skip out on the guacamole on this particular day due to its astounding brown appeal. Was it the same tub of guacamole from the day before? I’m not sure if I would like to know the answer to that but I was certainly glad I skipped out on it. Likewise, when a long-time chipotle customer and decorated yelp food reviewer named Ashley Lawrence went to this exact location she noted her meal tasted of overcooked rice, greasy and chewy chips, and had burnt paper stuck to the inside of her quesadilla which was an unpleasant surprise (google review). Much of this franchise’s success has stemmed from the simplicity of the menu that gives its customers a sense of control without feeling confused about what to order. However, if they are not able to serve each menu item with the highest quality they can, it hurts them badly. This is especially true for items on the menu that remain in their control, like serving fresh guacamole. Although I was stunned by the rotten guacamole that laid untouched in the food counter line, I had very few complaints about the quality of the food itself. My chicken and other toppings tasted splendid with no differences from my past experiences at neighboring chipotles. This was a pleasant surprise! To this Chipotle’s favor, Steve and I had no complaints about the quality of the food so we can give them grace and assume Ashely caught them on a bad day. Hence, a fair conclusion would be to give this chipotle an average grade for the quality of the ingredients in their food.

The third element I reviewed was the quality of service I received from the employees. Although they were not blatantly rude to my face or outright disrespectful, there were minor things that hurt the overall performance of their service. For instance, I remember feeling very surprised when I wasn’t greeted by the staff when I walked in. Although it may sound trivial, during every other one of my excursions to Chipotle I can recall receiving a greeting from the staff, which feels extremely welcoming as a customer. Not only did I recognize poor service, but Steve LaMere mentioned, “The two people who were working our bowls were rude, disrespectful, and clearly didn’t want to be there” (google review). Similar to my experience, Steve felt heavily affected by the nonexistent interest level of the workers. Furthermore, Steve illuminated the poor service of this Chipotle when writing, “…I asked if someone wouldn’t mind cleaning a table for us. After she rolled her eyes because of that major inconvenience, and a really brutal job of cleaning the table, we just decided to leave and eat at home” (google review). Terrible service like this is crucial to the effectiveness of a restaurant because of its ability to leave a customer feeling unwelcome and uneasy about coming back. Lastly, in Ashely’s review she wrote, “The customer service is consistently terrible as is the food quality. The employees are often rude and extremely unprofessional” (google review). The quality of service heavily influences a restaurant’s ecosystem and unfortunately, this location is not up to speed with the rest.

The final aspect that deeply affected my experience was the overall cleanliness of the restaurant. This aspect is vital to a restaurant’s success because of its ability to affect a customer’s experience before they are even able to take a bite of the food. Upon my walk to the serving line, I couldn’t help but notice the dirty floors and tables left with scraps of lettuce, smeared cheese, and dried salsa that looked as if the workers hadn’t cleaned in days. Seeing such glaringly dirty tables was highly unappetizing as a customer and made me think twice about turning around to go home. Steve captured the heinous scene in his review when he wrote, “As my wife and I walked in, we both look at each other in disbelief. The entire restaurant was absolutely FILTHY! Every single empty table was disgusting” (google review). In fact, it was so bad that Steve decided it was better to eat his food cold at home than eat it there in the restaurant. Not only did Steve and I encounter this, but when Ashely went to this exact location she noted, “The line is always messy and tables were smeared with food bits” (google review). A clean establishment shows a customer you care about their dining experience and are invested in their well-being. The management’s failure to perform the small tasks such as cleaning tables and sweeping the floor proves this location is heavily underperforming with its cleanliness. 

To check how my rating stacked up with the rest of the Colorado Springs residents, I googled the reviews for this particular location. Unknowingly, my review was pretty spot on with google giving it 3.4 stars out of 5: the lowest-rated in Colorado Springs. Even more surprising, I found this location to be the lowest-rated chipotle within a 50-mile radius! I was shocked by this news and was stunned to see so many more reviews that were similar to my recent experience. Customers complained of the crummy service, poor food quality, cleanliness, and more staggering information that only left me thinking, was this the last time I went to this Chipotle?

The final question Cadets and the residents of Colorado Springs must ask themselves is what truly matters to you when deciding on which Chipotle restaurant to go to? Is it the quality of the food? How you are treated by the employees? How the atmosphere feels inside? From my perspective, I believe all of these components play an equal role in my experience at Chipotle, resulting in a thumbs down for this particular location. I believe it would be beneficial for one to make the longer trip to visit another location in Colorado Springs to truly get the best of their experience at this fantastic franchise. At the end of the day, the decision is in your hands, however, due to the unpleasant service, poor management, and poor cleanliness, I would recommend finding a different Chipotle to ensure your experience is worth your time.