Chipotle’s Focus on In-Store Employees Pays Off in Guest Satisfaction

Guests seem happy with recent changes at Chipotle, a direct result of the company's focus on marrying guest satisfaction to employee training and performance. Labor was on the menu during Chipotle's latest earnings call, as top leadership addressed the chain's initiatives and corporate structure changes that have taken place since CEO Brian Niccol joined the company in March. Investors seem happy, too. Same-store sales beat expectations, up 3.3 percent. Chipotle is working aggressively to cut the fat from its operations, and has closed 29 of its underperforming restaurants so far, said the company's chief financial officer, Jack Hartung, on the chain's second quarter earnings call. These closures represent half of the restaurants slated for closure. Additionally, Chipotle closed its Denver HQ and New York office in early July, laying off or offering relocation packages to 431 corpo