Chipotle has the burrito game on lockdown so they’re setting their sights on something new – custom made pizzas that are baked to order and ready in just 2 minutes. Lunch may never be the same again.
The worst part about pizza is that it takes too long. Even if Jon Stewart wanders in off the street for a slice, it still needs to bake for another 2 minutes to make him forget that it’s been sitting out for an hour. That all changes with Pizzeria Locale, a custom pizza joint in Denver that’s now backed by Chipotle. You not only get to pick from a line of traditional and non-traditional pizza toppings, but it’s cooked right in front of your face in a rotating oven. You’ve got a brand new custom pizza in the same time it’s taken to reheat a slice.
The real question is, will it work? There have been two similar places by me in Chicago, and one is already closed. The other packed up and moved to a cheaper location. They didn’t have Chipotle working behind the scenes to streamline the process and make things as inexpensive as possible though. They already make delicious burritos and faith in humanity restoring commercials, so I have no doubt Chipotle can make personal pizzas efficient enough to take over the world.
As of now, Chipotle is just an investor in Pizzeria Locale, but they are the ones responsible for changing it from your typical pizzeria to the finely tuned pie making machine it is today. They also have the right to become majority owner in the future. That sounds to me like their taking the cheapest route to market testing a new chain. I’m in as long as I can order by fax. I don’t want to risk having to fight a kid while I’m there.
via WSJ