OPINIONOperations

Will Chipotle's new concept be the one that gets traction?

Restaurant Rewind: Earlier diversification attempts have been short-lived. Here’s what went wrong in those efforts.

After a string of scrapped launches, Chipotle Mexican Grill is trying again to establish a second restaurant brand.  Will its secret startup find the staying power that escaped the previous ventures?

With the test of a bowl concept looking like a “go” for the burrito powerhouse, this week’s Restaurant Rewind podcast delves into those earlier stabs at diversification. Host and Restaurant Business Editor At Large Peter Romeo fires up the time machine for a recount of Chipotle’s short-lived incursions into the Asian, pizza and burger markets, and why those experiments never grew beyond about 15 units.

What has the high-flying company learned from ShopHouse Asian Kitchen, Pizzeria Locale and Tasty Made that enhance the chances of success for the new venture, which is going by the name Farmesa?

Download this and every episode of Restaurant Rewind for the context past situations can provide on modern-day developments of import.

Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.

Multimedia

Exclusive Content

Financing

Surprise, surprise: California kept its full-service restaurants in the dark for months

Reality Check: The state attorney general had refused to clarify the scope of the state's pending anti-junk-fee law. It's one more smack in the face to the trade.

Financing

Why social media, and not price, is behind Starbucks' sales problems

The Bottom Line: The coffee shop chain lost momentum quickly in November. That was too fast to be explained by consumer reaction over the prices of its beverages.

Financing

Franchisors who want faster remodels should reach into their pocketbooks

The Bottom Line: Burger King is spending $550 million to get more of its restaurants remodeled, not counting its own upgraded restaurants. More brands should do this.

Trending

More from our partners