Chipotle, the famous restaurant chain that specializes in Mexican grill announced Wednesday that it has applied for a "Better Burger" trademark as a part of its business diversification that will eventually lead to the establishment of its own burger restaurant chain.
According to Chris Arnold, a Chipotle spokesman, "We have two non-Chipotle growth seeds open now - ShopHouse and Pizzeria Locale - and have noted before that the Chipotle model could be applied to a wide variety of foods."
A chain Shophouse restaurants opened in 2013 where Southeast Asian foods are served. In 2015, the Mexican grill restaurant opened Pizzeria Locale which focuses in wood-fired pizza. These locations are beyond Chipotle's usual operations in Boulder and Denver, Colorado.
Currently, Chipotle has over 2,000 stores. It became popular due to its fresh ingredients and the option for customers to customize their orders. This resulted in the demand for more locations to cater for its growing list of patrons.
A devastating experience happened more recently that threatened the growth of the Denver-based restaurant chain. An E-coli issue was lodged against the fast food chain in October last year that affected at least 50 people in 11 states.
The effects of this experience are devastating to the company. Patrons opted to stay away for a while resulting in a dramatic drop in the company's overall sales.
But now, Chipotle is back on the warpath and aims to expand its reach to those who love to eat burgers. The company is targeting a piece of the burger pie which in 2014 has generated total sales of $73 billion, based on data provided by Burger Business. Burger joints comprise about 7.4 percent of all restaurants in the United States.
Chipotle plans to incorporate its non-GMO food items in its burger products. The company will emphasize its use of organic and naturally raised meat and hopes that health-conscious customers will see their value.
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