Chipotle Competitor Analysis

Chipotle has threats from competitors, mainly Qdoba and Taco Bell. Qdoba and Taco Bell have created similar menu styles and flavors that are more affordable. While these do not offer the same quality or freshness of ingredients, they provide cheaper alternatives for customers wanting a fast-casual restaurant experience. With consumers becoming more conscientious of how much they spend on dining out, a more affordable option is valuable and a threat to Chipotle. Other than being more affordable, Taco Bell is able to offer a larger variety of menu options as its cost for ingredients are not as high as those of Chipotle.

By preparing the meals in an assembly-line style, customers can be a part of the food preparation process thus ensuring that the ingredients they want are included in their meals and the ingredients they do not want are left off. Other fast-casual restaurants do not offer this service and thus customers can end up with a meal that contains ingredients they do not want to be included. This is another strength that Chipotle employs and should continue to implement as it creates a higher standard than its competitors.

As mentioned early, the price of meals is more expensive at Chipotle than at its competitors. While the …show more content…
One of the strengths is that it is a recognized brand. With the many locations and rapid expansion, most people in the United States have heard of Chipotle and many have eaten there before. None of the restaurants are franchised and are instead owned by the company. This allows the company to have control over all of the restaurants and to ensure that the high standards are implemented in each restaurant. Another strength is that customers can order online and pick up or have the food delivered. This provides convenience and ease for customers who are busy or do not wish to travel to pick up their