Operations

Chipotle's Scott Boatwright talks improving operations

In the first episode of Restaurant Business' podcast, "A Deeper Dive," Chipotle's chief restaurant officer details current efforts to improve the chain’s operations.

a deeper dive


You can also find this episode on our podcast page here.

How do you fix a brand that was a raging success for more than 20 years, but has since fallen on hard times?

In the debut episode of Restaurant Business’ new podcast, "A Deeper Dive," Scott Boatwright, chief restaurant officer of Chipotle Mexican Grill, gives us an answer: It’s a lot of work.

The former Arby’s executive was hired as Chipotle’s CRO last year as part of what has since become a broad overhaul of the chain’s executive team. Between then and now, the chain has hired a new CEO—Brian Niccol—and the company announced it's moving its headquarters to California.

During the Restaurant Leadership Conference in April, Boatwright sat down with Restaurant Business Executive Editor Jonathan Maze and Managing Editor Sara Rush Wirth to talk about changes in the chain’s Restaurateur program, how the company is adapting to an evolving restaurant industry and the pressure of fixing operations at one of the most talked about restaurant companies in the country.

The interview is our kickoff for "A Deeper Dive," a podcast that will explore a range of issues affecting the restaurant business. The podcast will feature interviews of industry executives who will talk about their brands, and how they operate in an increasingly competitive industry. And we will bring you experts who can discuss the trends affecting operators.

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