Chipotle is opening new restaurants at an 'exponential rate.' The CEO says AI is key
The company has ambitious plans to almost double its footprint and says AI is allowing it to hire faster than ever
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Chipotle CEO Scott Boatwright said the company is opening up a new location almost every day thanks to AI.
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Speaking at Fortune’s COO Summit, Boatwright credited the company’s AI hiring platform, Ava Cado, for enabling it to grow at an “exponential rate.” He said the technology cut Chipotle’s hiring time by 75%.
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“This not only helps us keep our restaurant staffed, but ensures we have the best talent that’s available in the industry,” he said. “If you think about the growth that’s ahead of us and the need for highly capable, purpose-driven, value-oriented individuals is more critical today than it probably ever has been for our brand.”
The company currently has more than 3,700 locations and hopes to bring that number up to 7,000, according to Fortune.
Boatwright, who took the helm of Chipotle last year, is all in on AI, saying he believes it belongs at every company. He also insisted it’s a tool to make workers more efficient, not get rid of them.
“We don’t look to replace the human experience, we look to remove waste and expand or enhance the team member experience,” he said.
The CEO said AI is also helping the restaurant tailor individual deals to patrons, looking at their visit history to see when they might need a discount to entice them to return.
A recent report from food service research firm Technomic found that Chipotle expanded 8.1% last year.
Chipotle CEO Scott Boatwright said in a February earnings call that part of the company’s success rested on “tremendous progress” in expanding its footprint in Europe. The company, though, reported a “slowdown” in consumer spending during the first quarter of 2025, citing customers foregoing restaurant visits to save money along with adverse weather.
—Joseph Zeballos-Roig contributed to this article.