Chipotle Mexican Grill ($CMG) is firing up its grills as businesses begin to reopen, and now the fast-casual chain is ramping up its hiring process with 10,000 new employees over the next few months.
Wednesday’s hiring announcement coincides with the opening of Chipotle’s 100th “Chipotlane,” expected later this month in Sunbury, Ohio. The drive-thru digital order pick-up lane is featured in 11 of the 19 new restaurants Chipotle opened during the first quarter of 2020. Chipotle restaurants with Chipotlanes have seen higher production than traditional locations, according to the company. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chipotle saw an 80% year-over-year growth in digital orders and expects its digital business to keep heating up.
The company plans to have Chipotlanes featured in over 60% of new restaurants, which will require more staff than traditional Chipotle restaurants, according to a press release.
In May, Chipotle launched its “We Are Open. We Are Growing. We Are Hiring” campaign to bring in new hires to help manage the company’s digital food surge. Since the campaign’s launch, Chipotle has welcomed approximately 8,000 new hires.
Since the beginning of the year, Chipotle has received almost 700,000 applications nationwide. In January, Chipotle had nearly 3,900 job listings, and despite a slight dip in early June, there are 4,100 job listings this week.
Job listings dipped in June when unemployment was high at 11.1%, and Chipotle saw the opportunity to open its doors to new talent in the industry, says Chipotle's Chief Restaurant Officer Scott Boatwright.
Despite the recent push for new hires, Chipotle had a significant drop off in job listings from 2019 to 2020. Job listings peaked at 4,930 on February 18 in 2019 and fell to 3,910 exactly one year later when the pandemic began.
But with lockdowns being lifted and its digital business booming, Chipotle is looking ahead. With 10,000 new hires in the coming months, the company is looking for hourly and salaried management and crew. Employees will be given benefits like a debt-free college degree, access to mental healthcare, paid parental leave and more….like a free meal during their shift.
About the Data:
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