Chipotle Becomes Another Boring Chain — and That's a Good Thing
- Niccol’s first year brought stock back near pre-crisis levels
- Next up: More stores abroad and intensifed food-safety focus
Brian Niccol has stabilized Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. since taking over a year ago. Now, he faces a trickier challenge: Restoring some of the burrito chain’s foodie cachet while simultaneously fueling ambitious growth.
Niccol, who took over from founder Steve Ells last March, has cleaned up Chipotle’s operations and tapped the fast-food playbook he learned while running Taco Bell. That includes propelling sales with digital orders and deliveries while adding customer-luring menu items like quesadillas.