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April 25 (Reuters) - Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc (CMG.N) topped Wall Street expectations for first-quarter profits and sales on Tuesday, helped by higher menu prices, 41 new restaurant openings and some recovery among lower-income customers. The company said it expects second quarter and full year comparable sales growth in the mid-to-high single digits. Even with inflation squeezing household budgets, restaurant chains are expected to post higher sales growth in the first quarter. Comparable sales at California-based Chipotle jumped about 11% in the first quarter, while analysts on average expected an 8.6% rise, according to Refinitiv data. Inflation in the second half is "really a wild card," Chief Financial Officer Jack Hartung said on the earnings call.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves premarket: Uber, Chipotle, Microsoft, Lumen and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Hakyung Kim | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Uber — The ride-hailing app's shares rose more than 7% after it posted fourth-quarter earnings that topped analyst estimates. Uber earned 29 cents a share, beating analysts' estimate of an 18 cent loss, Refinitiv data showed. This year's adjusted earnings guidance missed StreetAccount estimates. Fortinet — The cybersecurity company's shares rose 11% after it beat analysts' estimates in the most recent quarter by five cents a share, according to StreetAccount. Under Armour earned adjusted EPS of 16 cents vs a StreetAccount estimate of 9 cents.

Feb 7 (Reuters) - Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc (CMG.N) missed quarterly comparable sales and profit expectations on Tuesday, as customers pulled back on expensive delivery orders and traffic stalled in December. Comparable sales at California-based Chipotle rose 5.6% in the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, while analysts on average expected a 7.1% rise, according to Refinitiv IBES. Visits to Chipotle restaurants fell 10.2% in the fourth quarter, according to data from Placer.ai. Delivery transactions also tumbled 15% as in-store orders surged, and Chipotle restaurants "didn't see that pop" that they normally get in December around the holidays, Chief Financial Officer Jack Hartung said on the call. We think inflation will be reasonably tame," Hartung said, adding that the company had not yet decided whether to raise menu prices further in 2023.

☆ Chipotle customers are finally balking at higher delivery prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

In 2021, Chipotle reached $3.4 billion in digital sales. Delivery orders for the latest quarter decreased by 15% amid delivery prices hikes made last year. Chains like Chipotle often mark up menu prices for delivery orders to offset fees paid to third-party delivery operators like DoorDash. In the third quarter of 2022, delivery prices at Chipotle increased 13% compared to the same period in 2021, the company previously told Insider. The same meal costs $11.50 for delivery plus a $1 delivery fee and $3.37 in taxes and service fees.

☆ CFOs Ponder Their Pricing Power as the Economy Cools
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Jennifer Williams-Alvarez | Dean Seal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +7 min

After a year of significant price increases, companies are trying to figure out how far they can go in 2023. However, pricing experts said, consumers and businesses will likely pull back on discretionary spending and will be less tolerant of price increases as they become mindful of their budgets. The Katy, Texas-based retailer takes an item-by-item approach to price increases. Customers haven’t balked at higher price tags, Ms. Huber said in late October. Still, the company said the aggressive price hikes in 2022 haven’t yet had a significant impact on consumers’ behavior.

☆ NFL player J.J. Watt blasts Chipotle on Twitter: 'We want big burritos back'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Mary Meisenzahl | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Arizona Cardinals player J.J. Watt called out Chipotle for shrinking burrito sizes on Twitter. Some customers have been complaining about Chipotle's portion sizes for years. Pro-bowler and Arizona Cardinals defensive end J.J. Watt tweeted Sunday "Burritos have been getting smaller…," writing that he wanted to "open dialogue" with Chipotle. "We want big burritos back," he wrote, adding hashtags including "Burrito justice," "Still hungry," and "This is supposedly double meat." If its portion sizes are getting smaller, Chipotle wouldn't be the only retailer to do so.

☆ McDonald's opens US's first small-format location that's optimized for delivery and mobile orders
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Mary Meisenzahl | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

It includes an order-ahead lane where customers can drive up and retrieve mobile orders from a conveyer belt. Drive-thru and mobile orders are both critical to McDonald's business: About 25% of US sales are digital through the app, kiosk, or delivery orders, McDonald's says, and 70% of orders go through the drive-thru. Chipotle just opened its 500th Chipotlane, which operates like the order-ahead line in the McDonald's test store. Taco Bell has also opened Go Mobile restaurant formats with drive-thru lanes dedicated to mobile orders. McDonald's test is limited for now to the one location in the Fort Worth suburb called White Settlement.

☆ Chipotle workers say 'Boorito' was a flop this year because of high prices
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Mary Meisenzahl | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Seven workers told Insider that their stores were slower than expected. Seven Chipotle workers across the US told Insider that their stores saw lower traffic than expected and didn't meet sales projections. This is in complete contrast to 2021, when workers told Insider about long lines, staying late to finish cleaning, and even some workers walking off the job. Outside of the Boorito promotion, Chipotle has raised prices several times over the last year and a half, most recently in August, when the chain raised prices for a burrito by about 50 cents to $1 each. In the first quarter of 2022, Chipotle raised menu prices by 4%, CFO Jack Hartung told investors.

☆ More Chipotle customers are ordering in-store, while the chain keeps investing in digital and drive-thru
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Mary Meisenzahl | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Chipotle saw a huge bump in in-store sales as digital sales dropped slightly. In-store sales were up 22% in the third quarter of 2022 over the same period in the previous year, while digital sales were down 6% to make up 37% of all sales. Despite tides turning a bit toward more in-store orders, Chipotle is still investing in digital infrastructure. Chipotle has been especially optimistic about digital sales through its so-called Chipotlane drive-thrus, of which there are now more than 300. After two years as a digital promotion, the Halloween Boorito promotion is returning to stores this year.

☆ Chipotle says customers aren't skipping guac or choosing cheaper proteins despite price increases
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Mary Meisenzahl | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Chipotle's CEO says customer orders have remained "consistent" despite price increases. Chipotle raised prices in August following two earlier increases in the last 18 months. Most customers aren't changing their regular orders or switching to less expensive proteins, he said. In the first quarter of 2022, Chipotle raised menu prices by 4%, CFO Jack Hartung told investors on an earlier call. Sales continue to grow faster than price increases, up 14% in the third quarter over the same period in 2021.

☆ Papa John's is the latest employer to offer free college for frontline workers
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In this article CTRN Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTwatch nowIn a war for talent, employers are drastically expanding their benefit offerings to attract and retain workers. More from Personal Finance:Inflation and higher rates are a ‘dangerous mix’Companies are slashing parental leave benefitsHere are the 'most employable' college degrees "Wherever you can differentiate yourself is pretty critical," said Marvin Boakye, Papa John's chief people and diversity officer. Now, nearly half, or 48%, of employers said they offer undergraduate or graduate tuition assistance as a benefit. "We're seeing it shift a little in how they are thinking about attracting talent," according to Buban. "The majority of our leadership team were delivery drivers and moved up through the organization," Papa John's Boakye said.

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