Chipotle
This has probably already been written before but:
There are so many lessons to be learned from Chipotle that can be applied to other businesses. They are focused on doing one thing and doing that thing really really well. Their menu is simple. Their store layouts are fairly predictable. They focus on good ingredients and a workflow and process they can easily repeat and then they charge a modest premium because they’ve convinced you that what they’re providing is valuable. And it is.
It’s not what Chipotle does. It is, implicitly, all the things they haven’t done. The infinite dead-ends they’ve chosen to forgo. The wacky menu concepts. The roll-out of new Chipotle premium coffee! The steady infection of their core product with ancillary ideas, add-on concepts and bold new experiments which would, essentially add cost and complexity to a system that is operating efficiently and smoothly.
They know who they are, those cats at Chipotle. And it’s a wonder to behold.
Here’s a quote I pulled from the founder, Steve Ellis:
“When I created Chipotle in 1993, I had a very simple idea: Offer a simple menu of great food prepared fresh each day, using many of the same cooking techniques as gourmet restaurants. Then serve the food quickly, in a cool atmosphere. It was food that I wanted, and thought others would like too. We’ve never strayed from that original idea. The critics raved and customers began lining up at my tiny burrito joint. Since then, we’ve opened a few more.” –Steve Ells, founder and CEO
I don’t have an obvious corollary for a musician. If you’re making art, you’re not running a burrito business. But if you’re running any other kind of business the lesson seems to be fairly revealing.
Know who you are.
Get really really good at it.
Simplify simplify simplify.
Avoid distraction.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
July 17th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
quote: 1999: McDonald's purchases majority control of Chipotle; several new markets are entered as store count reaches 37.
July 17th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
quote: 1999: McDonald's purchases majority control of Chipotle; several new markets are entered as store count reaches 37.