Chipotle has decided to increase their Chipotlanes for drive-thru service because they have been working out so well for them so far.
What is the Chipotlane you ask? It's the Chipotle drive thru operation that takes ordering and paying for the order out of the mix.
The two most time consuming tasks in the drive thru operations for fast food have been ordering and paying for the order, so without that as a part of the equation things look much different. The service is much faster and it's working out great for customers.
The Chipotle Comeback
They already have several of these Chipotlanes around the country and for those who want the food and want it quickly it has been working out great.
Chipotle did great through the pandemic and their hot streak is continuing thanks to their digital growth and service performance. This year they could grow 21% or more as the demand for the food grows.
In 2020 they opened their 100th Chipotlane drive thru operation. They also added thousands of new jobs as well to help keep up with that growth and demand.
The rise in demand for Chipotle has fueled some issues though, such as placing pressure in the hiring demands, they've been trying to hire enough people to make it work.
Increasing Pay For Workers
In an effort to attract thousands of workers they too have offered more in pay and there will also be opportunities with the stores that are available for those interested working there to advance to the highest general manager positions as well. They have even turned to TikTok to help with the hiring, coming out with a pilot program that is supposed to help with that hiring push for the company. Will the $15 per hour wage be enough to entice workers to fill the positions that they need? If not they will need to do more or they will keep struggling to meet demand.
Not only might we see more Chipotlanes in the future for drive thru service but they are also increasing their stores in other countries around the world too as they expand internationally.