- Chipotle CEO Scott Boatwright says the fast-casual chain is increasing at an “exponential rate,” with plans to open greater than 300 new areas this yr. Key to creating the expansion occur is new AI expertise, like its hiring platform, “Ava Cado,” Boatwright tells Fortune.
If you happen to’re a fan of bowls, tacos, and burritos, there’s excellent news: there is perhaps a Chipotle opening in your neighborhood quickly.
The corporate at the moment operates over 3,700 eating places, however it has bold objectives to develop to 7,000 areas within the U.S. and Canada alone. On stage at Fortune’s COO summit at the moment, Chipotle CEO Scott Boatwright revealed that the corporate is increasing practically by the day.
“We will open a new Chipotle restaurant this year almost every 24 hours,” Boatwright mentioned to Fortune’s Kristin Stoller. “And if you think about the growth that’s ahead of us and the need for highly capable, purpose driven, value oriented individuals is more critical today than it probably ever has been for our brand.”
Chipotle at the moment employs over 130,000 workers—and with growth additionally deliberate for Mexico, Boatwright admitted that utilizing AI expertise has made the hiring course of a lot faster. Final yr, Chipotle launched “Ava Cado,” the corporate’s AI hiring platform, and since then, Boatwright mentioned hiring occasions have been decreased by 75%.
And whereas the usage of AI within the hiring course of could also be an unwelcome signal for human useful resource professionals, Boatwright mentioned AI has a spot in enterprise throughout all verticals and industries.
“This not only helps us keep our restaurant staffed, but ensures we have the best talent that’s available in the industry,” he mentioned.
AI may offer you a reduction in your subsequent Chipotle bowl
Whereas Chipotle is becoming a member of the lengthy listing of firms embracing AI throughout its enterprise, Boatwright mentioned you shouldn’t anticipate to have a robotic folding your burrito anytime quickly (although, it might be making your guacamole).
“We don’t look to replace the human experience, we look to remove waste and expand or enhance the team member experience,” he added.
The corporate can also be utilizing the expertise inside its rewards system. If a buyer hasn’t made a purchase order within the final two weeks, Boatwright mentioned they might be supplied a deal that can escalate over time to get the client to come back into the shop. AI expertise helps tailor the offers to the person based mostly on their personalization and general model utilization.
And whereas Boatwright solely simply turned CEO final yr—after serving as COO for over seven years—he admitted his makes an attempt to scale the corporate with new expertise and initiatives will solely work if prospects benefit from the product.
“Customers come to Chipotle for the food,” he mentioned.
This story was initially featured on Fortune.com
