Still, Niccol emphasizes that he does not plan to lose his focus on restaurant industry basics as Chipotle explores what the chain of the future might look like. Likewise, non-cyclical declines Hollis Johnson/Business Insider. Photographer: Bobby Doherty for Bloomberg Businessweek As the pandemic made people hesitant or … Brian R Niccol is listed as an insider in the following companies: CMG / Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. Chipotle was founded by fine-dining veteran Steve Ells in 1993. Jack Hartung, Chipotle's chief financial officer who joined the company in 2002, recently told Business Insider that the time when Ells announced he was looking for a replacement was a scary period inside the company. CEO Brian Niccol stated that digital sales might surpass $2.5 billion this year, more than double in 2015’s overall. Hartung says the leadership team went back to the basics, reevaluating the company's values and purpose. a series of upwardly sloping curves, indicating positive returns after each purchase transaction. Prior to the E. coli scandal, Chipotle didn't want its then-sterling reputation linked to the McDonald's of the world. advertisement. Earlier this year, the company rebranded the "second make line" the "digital make line" — a small but purposeful tweak that reveals the company's massive digital aspirations. Niccol started his career at Procter & Gamble before joining Yum Brands in 2005. “I don’t really love that phrase,” Niccol, Restaurant Business’ 2020 Restaurant Leader of the Year, said during a recentRB webinar. Yes," he continued. The 399 employees in the company's Denver office were either laid off or offered relocation packages. - This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Chipotle Mexican Grill CEO Brian Niccol has been selected by the editors of Restaurant Business as the 2020 Restaurant Leader of the Year, an honor that puts him in the company of industry luminaries such as Union Square Hospitality Group founder Danny Meyer, Panera Bread founder Ron Shaich, Inspire Brands CEO Paul Brown and longtime Taco Bell and Yum Brands chief Greg Creed. The E. coli scandal had helped unearth underlying issues the company needed to address, including Chipotle's subpar efforts to build a digital business. OZM Chipotle executives say the digital make lines essentially doubled the chain's location count, allowing the chain to max out at twice as many burritos per hour. Taco Bell sold the Crunchwrap Supreme. - Chipotle's shares have risen 82.5% in 2019, and it is priced for perfect execution of a well-understood narrative. "Total shares owned" is a flawed measure of institutional sentiment, because it include shares owned by View Brian Niccol’s profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images. "You have to really say: 'Is the core strong? only for critics to call it "dumpster juice" and a "crime against cheese. ET. But, it wasn't until Niccol began that digital finally exploded at the company. The drive-thru has existed for decades, but Chipotle Mexican Grill's modern spin is helping the restaurant chain top its fast-food competitors' speed. It also allows Chipotle to add a drive-thru in the form of "Chipotlanes," with customers ordering ahead via app and pulling through to pick up their burritos. "We're going to build a digital system and it's going to involve finishing the digitizing of the second make line.". Yes. But, when Niccol recalls his dawning understanding of the second make line, it is like listening to someone talk about discovering a box of priceless treasure while cleaning out their attic. "The sales volumes are materially higher," Saleh added. As tech shines in the spotlight, Niccol says that the company is making changes behind the scenes to help workers, whether that is rolling out mental health benefits in 2020 or adding AI ordering. His passions are writing about Tech news and exploring new ideas in startup communities. "Even in my time at Proctor & Gamble, I had the opportunity to work on businesses where you believed they had a reason to succeed. Brian Niccol, CEO at Chipotle Mexican Grill, discusses why he … Like what you see here? If the share price were to go from $10 to $15 during this time, the cumulative percent change in share price would be 50%. In 2017, the chain hastily rolled out all-natural queso — long customers' most-demanded item — only for critics to call it "dumpster juice" and a "crime against cheese.". Yes. As sales increase, Niccol says, the budget will also grow. And, what works at Chipotle is a constantly shifting target.