Chipotle’s woes continue as Moe’s Southwest Grill has been dubbed “America’s Most Popular Mexican Style Chain Restaurant” according to the results of a survey conducted by Harris Poll and shared by Nasdaq. Moe’s is a chain that was founded in Atlanta in 2000 and now has around 600 locations compared to Chipotle’s 1,900.
Moe’s was a lunchtime staple for a while until Chipotle’s kept popping up like Starbucks. Like, Moe’s just started running TV commercials. And they look good. Like, I want that mountain of limes and rice and I’m not even a rice fan.
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The survey asked almost 100,000 people to evaluate more than 3,800 brands, and Chipotle, the former king of carnitas burritos bowls ranked at number five, ending the company’s three-year-run as America’s most popular Mexican food chain. Taco Bell came in second, Qdoba in third, and Baja Fresh in fourth.
Chipotle did $4.5 billion in sales versus Moe’s $640 million, but Moe’s had record-setting expansion, opening 70 new stores. We told you about Chipotle’s $26.2 million loss in Q1 mostly because of all the poison and contamination and chicken foots. The CEO had to take a $14 million pay cut and is still richer than Richie ’til you snitches come and get him.
Not even offering free chips, free guac, and free burritos could win favor with people. Probably didn’t help sales either. Customers come in and spite eat for free then tear you down in polls. Maybe offering extended happy hour would work? Maybe they should run commercials featuring this shredded guy who eats Chipotle every day or have Furious Pete challenge Joey “Jaws” Chestnut and Kobayashi to a burrito destroying contest? I dunno, I gotta go to Moe’s. Later.
Via Nasdaq, Mental Floss