Chipotle is asking its staff to smile at customers to improve its image as an unfriendly chain.
During the latest quarter earnings call on Wednesday, CEO Scott Boatwright said the burrito chain conducted a study last year to learn from customers where Chipotle's pain points were, which showed him that "we're not as friendly as we probably should be in restaurant."
Boatwright said other insights from the customer study showed some Chipotle restaurants were unclean at peak hours, too.
He said the chain had laid out "specific actions to be accomplished" in all its restaurants to correct these problems.
"This includes a friendly smile at tortilla, a heartfelt 'thank you' from our cashier, clean dining rooms and drink stations, and great guest on-site recovery for any issue," Boatwright said.
"The fact is, smiles down the line don't slow us down," he added.
He said staff across all of its nearly 3,800 restaurants have received training tools to create a "guest-obsessed" culture.
In response to a query on the new guideline for staff to smile, a Chipotle representative said, "At our Field Leader Conference in March, we discussed the elements that make up exceptional hospitality so our leaders can properly coach their teams on maintaining clean restaurants and a friendly atmosphere."
Chipotle is not the only chain that has introduced guidelines on the ground to appear more personable.
In January, Starbucks mandated employees to handwrite notes on customers' to-go cups, saying in a memo to staff that this action "fosters moments of connection" with patrons.
Chipotle reported a slow first quarter, with a 0.4% decline in comparable sales compared to the year before, brought down by a 2.3% drop in the number of transactions.
Its net sales increased 6.4% compared to last year, to $2.9 billion. New restaurant openings largely drove this, the chain said in the earnings press release on Wednesday.
Boatwright said Chipotle's first quarter was "impacted by several headwinds, including weather and a slowdown in consumer spending."
When markets closed on Wednesday, the chain's stock had risen about 3.5%. However, it is down about 2% in after-hours trading.
April 25, 2025 — This story has been updated to reflect that after publication, a Chipotle spokesperson said it is not mandatory for staff to smile at customers.
