Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG) just celebrated its 20th birthday. What started as a small Mexican food joint two decades ago is now a national food chain with over 1,500 restaurants and a company with a market capitalization of more than $12 billion.
A quick look at the second-quarter trends
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG) reported a 10.2% increase in earnings, which moved to $2.82 per share and beat analyst expectations by a penny. Overall revenue was up 18.2% to $816.8 million, and same-store sales increased 5.5% or 4.5% excluding the extra trading day. Analysts had projected total sales of $802.8 million and comp growth of 3.8%.
What is encouraging is that this growth was fueled by solid transaction growth. There were 25 more daily transactions per store on average during the quarter. Operating margin was 27.6%, down from 29.2% in the year-ago quarter owing to higher food and marketing costs. It added 44 new restaurants, bringing its overall store count to 1,502.
An ace up its sleeve
There has been lots of speculation over whether or not Chipotle will raise prices. With fast-food chains focusing on budget meals, there were doubts as to whether a price increase would deter the company’s growth prospects. But, subsequently, most industry experts agreed that Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG) has sufficient pricing power and the market began looking forward to the price increase as a significant driver for margins and the stock.
The burrito-maker has, however, deferred its pricing decision by at least two more quarters, saying that it will exercise this option when its non-GMO initiative gathers more steam. Eliminating GMOs, or genetically modified organisms, from food ingredients is a key brand-building — and at the same time costly — initiative. The pricing room will support margins when the company implements this and will also be a valuable option just in case the company’s cost situation gets out of hand.
Room for margin expansion
Chipotle’s decision not to raise pricing does not dampen its margin growth prospects. Management is confident that if it can drive its comps well, there is adequate room for margin expansion. Around half of the costs that determine restaurant margins are fixed in nature, which means that comp growth trickles down to the bottom line fast.
If Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG) can achieve around mid single-digit comps supported by transaction growth, it can sustain and even grow its margins. And anything above this can result in a much wider increase. So, comp growth becomes very important.
Catalysts for comp growth
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG) is doing all that it can to boost traffic. After testing in California, it is rolling out the new tofu-based Sofritas in the Pacific Northwest. Then there are the premium Patron margaritas that it introduced in April. But that’s not all.
Management has linked the semi-annual bonus of its managers with restaurant throughput during peak hours. The company believes that if the customers are served faster, the queue would move faster and the sales loss arising from the occasional customer who is deterred by the long wait will be avoided.
Chipotle also started a catering service in January and already 200 stores in 12 markets offer this service. The number will double by the end of August. The company estimates that catering brings an incremental 1% of total sales in the restaurants where it is offered. And this is a very profitable business given that after the initial equipment is set up in the stores, there are almost no incremental costs associated with this service.
