Chipotle Mexican Grill runs fast-casual Mexican meals like burritos, bowls, tacos, and salads with customizable ingredients and efficient assembly-line service. Customers order at a counter or through digital channels, which now account for about 37% of food and beverage revenue; the company operates over 3,300 restaurants, many corporate-owned. It focuses on food traceability and sustainable sourcing within its supply chain to ensure quality ingredients. Its goal is to deliver high-quality, customizable meals quickly at scale while growing digital ordering and maintaining responsible sourcing.
Company Size
10,001+
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
Newport Beach, California
Founded
1993
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StockStory has picked two profitable stocks to watch, Chipotle and SEI Investments, and one to avoid, AGCO. Chipotle (NYSE:CMG) has a 14.7% trailing 12-month GAAP operating margin and revenue of $12.42 billion. StockStory cites its push into new territories and strong returns on capital. The shares trade at $30.43, or 24.9x forward earnings. SEI Investments (NASDAQ:SEIC) has a 28.9% margin. Revenue grew 10.9% a year over the last two years, while earnings per share rose 22.1% a year, helped by share buybacks. The stock trades at $109.36, or 15.8x forward earnings. AGCO (NYSE:AGCO), a farm machinery maker, has a 5.8% margin. Sales were flat over five years, and earnings per share fell 5.5% a year. Its shares trade at $104.50, or 16.2x forward earnings.
CAVA Group and Chipotle Mexican Grill operate in the fast-casual dining segment but at different scales. CAVA has 476 locations, whilst Chipotle operates more than 4,200 restaurants. In the second quarter, CAVA's revenue increased 31.3%, same-restaurant sales rose 9%, and traffic grew 5.3%. Chipotle's revenue grew 9.3%, comparable sales increased 2.2%, and transactions rose 1%. CAVA's average restaurant generates about $3.1 million in annual sales. Management believes the US can support more than 1,000 CAVA restaurants. New Chipotle restaurants generate cash returns of around 60% by their second year. The company opened more than 100 restaurants in Q2 and expects roughly 350 openings in 2026. CAVA trades at 70.42x forward earnings, compared with 28.49x for Chipotle.
Starbucks reportedly considering acquisition of Chipotle. Starbucks has studied a potential takeover bid for Chipotle Mexican Grill in recent months with the help of advisers, according to the Financial Times. Such a deal would bring together two major US restaurant chains and mark a return to his roots for Brian Niccol, Starbucks' current chief executive and former head of Chipotle. No agreement has been announced, and neither company immediately commented on the reports. Published on 10/08/2026 at 02:14 pm EDT MarketScreener.com The announcement sent Chipotle shares up more than 6% in trading, while Starbucks fell about 3.5%. Chipotle's market capitalization is approaching $39bn, compared with about $107bn for Starbucks, according to LSEG. The deal would therefore represent a major transaction for the coffee chain, which has been pursuing a turnaround strategy for the past two years. Under Brian Niccol's leadership, Starbucks has streamlined its menu and reduced wait times to improve the customer experience. These initiatives have contributed to four consecutive quarters of comparable-sales growth. Chipotle, for its part, is facing sluggish demand and rising supply costs amid persistent inflation. (C) MarketScreener.com - 2026
Chipotle brings Queso Blanco to the UK. It is also introducing a limited-edition "Queso Boat". Chipotle Mexican Grill has launched Queso Blanco in the UK, adding the warm cheese sauce to its menu. Queso Blanco is available to order in Chipotle restaurants and digitally across the UK from 6 October. Join QSR Media UK community The sauce is made with aged white cheddar cheese, tomatoes, and Mexican peppers. It is served warm and contains no artificial colours, flavours, or preservatives. To mark the UK launch, Chipotle is also introducing a limited-edition "Queso Boat", a gravy boat designed for serving Queso Blanco over bowls, burritos, tacos, and quesadillas. On 11 October, the first 10 guests at every Chipotle restaurant in the UK will receive a Queso Boat. Guests can also receive free Queso Blanco with the purchase of any main on the day.
Chipotle launches cheese boats to rival gravy with new Queso launch. Chipotle Mexican Grill announced the UK launch of Queso Blanco, expanding its menu with the warm, creamy queso made with real ingredients and no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. To give Queso Blanco a distinctly British welcome, Chipotle is putting a cheesy spin on a fixture of the Sunday roast table: the gravy boat. The result is the limited-edition "Queso Boat," designed for pouring Queso Blanco over bowls, burritos, tacos and quesadillas. Queso Blanco Key Dates * 6 October - Queso Blanco Arrives * Queso Blanco is available to order in restaurants and digitally across the UK. * 11 October - Queso Boats + Free Queso Blanco * The first 10 guests at every Chipotle restaurant in the UK will receive a limited-edition Queso Boat.1 * Guests can enjoy free Queso Blanco with the purchase of any main.2 "With Queso Blanco, choosing something indulgent doesn't have to mean compromising on ingredient quality," said Anat Davidzon, Managing Director of International at Chipotle. "It delivers the experience guests want from queso while staying true to the real-food standards that define Chipotle." Meet Chipotle's Queso Blanco Served warm, Queso Blanco combines aged white cheddar cheese, tomatoes and Mexican peppers for a smooth, savoury taste with a gentle kick of heat. It contains no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. "Queso Blanco brings a richness that complements the variety of ingredients and textures across our menu," said Nevielle Panthaky, Senior Vice President of Culinary at Chipotle. For guests trying Queso Blanco for the first time, Panthaky recommends a burrito with white rice, black beans, chicken, Queso Blanco and fresh tomato salsa.