(Bloomberg Businessweek) -- Niccol’s turnaround of Chipotle would have been hard to imagine when he got the job in February 2018. The company had lost more than $16 billion in market after outbreaks of E. coli and norovirus made hundreds of customers sick in multiple states, raising questions about its food-safety practices. The brand was so badly tarnished that some analysts wondered whether Chipotle could ever recover.
But the chain, which once disrupted the fast-food industry by offering customized burritos stuffed with options such as fresh guacamole and responsibly sourced pork, has been one of the best stocks in the S&P 500 this year. Same-stores sales have accelerated each quarter for a year. The company has been buoyed by Niccol’s push into delivery, a focus on fundamentals (promotions such as milkshakes and avocado tostadas, digital ordering, and faster service times), and perhaps most important, an absence of foodborne illnesses.
©2019 Bloomberg L.P.
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
POPULAR