#QSR Management “Rock Star”

I had the opportunity to sit down with Jorge Marquez, Restaurateur, Chipotle Mexican Grill today. Jorge has been managing the new Chipotle on Page Road in Research Triangle Park (Durham), NC since it opened in November.

Jorge and his team are killing it. The restaurant is #4 in the state in lunch sales. The line is to the door from 11:30 to 1:30. This is something I have not seen at any CMG in a number of years.

This is the second restaurant I’ve frequented that Jorge has managed. He used to manage my “home” CMG at Falls Village Shopping Center in Raleigh. Having eaten at five different CMGs more than 100 times, I have an idea of what a well-run restaurant looks like – at least the “front of the house.”

Jorge is the best manager of CMG’s I’ve seen in my 12.5 years of eating there and I wanted to know the secret to his success so I asked him to answer a few questions:

How did you get started?

I managed an Outback in Erie, PA for five years and moved to Chipotle when I had a family because it offered better hours, healthcare benefits, and let me spend more time with my family. I was promoted to a salaried manager at four months, general manager in six months, and then restaurateur in one year. I was able to surpass my positon at Outback very quickly.

To what do you attribute your success?

Get to know people – customers and employees – this is a people business. If you can connect with your employees you form a team in which everyone working for a common goal and wants to see their teammates be successful.

Likewise, connecting with customers is key. The more your customers see you care, the more they want to help you be successful.

How is CMG “different and better” to work at/manage than other restaurants?

Better pay, benefits, healthcare, the opportunity to grow and get more money. As you progress, you have the opportunity to buy the stock at a discount and then restaurateurs earn stock as a bonus.

What are the “keys to success” as a CMG manager?

1. Hit your sales metrics
2. Manage cash flow
3. At CMG you have to manage in a way to create sustainability
4. Know business around you
5. Connect with the community around your restaurant
6. We spend 33% of sales with schools and local non-profits
7. Managers are expected to be in touch with the people in the community

At this location, 27% of sales are “take out” or “catering” orders. Needless to say, there is a lot of pent up demand for “food with integrity” and companies willing to cater lunch for employees and clients.

I noticed when Jorge opened this restaurant, he prepared all of the “to go” orders realizing the value of making a positive first impression as customers unpacked their food in front of others in their offices. Jorge has subsequently trained his staff to make sure “to go” orders are flawless.

What are the “keys to success” as an employee?

1. Show up to work
2. I will teach you how to do the job
3. Be reliable, hardworking, and eager to learn
4. Don’t be late
5. Maintain a positive attitude with your teammates

Jorge said it’s been challenging to get the right people working in this new location. Given that it’s in an area that much more business than residential, commute times can be 30 minutes, there’s no downtime given the volume the restaurant is doing.

Jorge and his team are currently earning an extra paycheck every quarter since the restaurant is meeting sales, cash flow, and throughput goals. Connect with him if you want to learn restaurant management from the best.

Chipotle is planning on adding 10 more restaurants in the Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill area in the next couple of years so there are tremendous growth opportunities for people who want to work hard and deliver a great customer experience.

#CMG New York Test Kitchen

What a treat! My first overnight visit to NYC since before 9/11 and well before I started eating at Chipotle 12.5 years ago. So rather than walking over to see the neighborhood where I lived from July 1981 to December 1985, I took a Lyft down to 6^th avenue and 13^th street to visit the Chipotle test kitchen.

Greg Small (@shinyboy88), Area Manager was there to welcome me along with an I love Burritos t-shirt with the CMG logo.

While the restaurant serves the same menu items as a traditional CMG, the menu board is different. They’re currently testing quesadillas and nachos. My wife has been eating, and loving, CMG quesadillas for several years. Greg explained they have a new press (it’s in the photo above in between the server and the kitchen) which toasts the quesadilla warmer and more quickly than the current press and that it will produce a more toasted, crispy, and rigid quesadilla that’s easier to eat (i.e., no knife and fork required).

They’re also testing nachos, a staple when I travel to user conferences. Since I’m allergic to wheat, I decided I’d have the nachos for burrito bowl #3,432. It even looks like a burrito bowl with chips rather than rice.

Greg and I talked about all things Chipotle while I ate and then he asked me what I thought of the nacho. I never get chips because of the calories and carbs but the nacho reminded me just how good CMG’s chips are. And as the base of my nacho, it’s certainly the highest quality nacho I’ve ever had. Reflecting back, it was like having a small version of my burrito bowl served on top of CMG’s great chips. Relative to a bowl, it’s a pain to eat. It’d be great as a more relaxed meal to capture the goodness of all of the toppings. It is the best nacho I’ve ever had – hands down, I just wish I could have savored it but the New York traffic and a pending flight from LGA did not allow.

CMG is featuring new drinks on the second menu board – frozen margaritas and frozen hibiscus lemonade. Since it was 11:00 am I didn’t try the ‘Rita and I decided I’d stick to my iced tea rather than the hibiscus lemonade but they look great and frozen margaritas out of milkshake/Icee machines are usually damn good!  I had the opportunity to eat at a CMG on 48^th street on Monday night and noticed a margarita and chocolate milkshake dispenser. Greg explained they had tested chocolate milkshakes with a hint of cinnamon but they were not being continued. He speculated the restaurant I visited was finishing up unused inventory. Perhaps they’ll have the hibiscus lemonade before summer ends.

I learned from Greg, and one of the guys working the line at the 13^th Street CMG kitchen that they had tested ribeye steak versus the flank steak they’ve been using for years. The employees loved the ribeye, but lo and behold, it was too chewy for customers so we will not be seeing ribeye rolled out.

Greg told me Steve Ells lives in the neighborhood and he drops by frequently to see how things are going. It’s great to hear that Steve is still involved even after turning the reins over to Brian Niccol. Even though Brian is from “Taco Hell, ” Greg said he’s very good about listening to CMG employees and not changing everything for the sake of change as Greg has seen over the course of his career working with other restaurants.

Greg assures me CMG will not go the route of other QSRs and fast food restaurants that inundate their customers and their menu with new products.

I look forward to more trips to NYC, where there are 52 restaurants in Manhattan, and other opportunities to see Greg, what’s up in the kitchen, and in location design and build out.

Thanks for having me CMG!

Chipotle Burrito Bowl 3,273

Carnitas – Falls Village Shopping Center, Raleigh, NC

Thanks to Cassie and Dmonte for a great carnitas bowl and #FoodWithIntegrity.

Last night at Healthtrax was “push night” with lying dumbbell chest press and standing dumbbell shoulder press followed by 30 minutes of yoga/stretching/meditation and 10 minutes in the Hydromassage lounge chair.

Have a good week while I’m on the road.

Chipotle Burrito Bowls 3,269 – 3,272

Steak @ Streets of Southpoint, Chicken @ Streets of Southpoint, Steak @ Morrisville, and Carnitas @ Falls Village Shopping Center.

Thanks to Pablo and his team at Southpoint for serving up great #FoodWithIntegry. Thanks to Lawrence and his team in Morrisville for being open as Florence was beginning to affect Raleigh and thanks to Jorge and his team for being open after Florence left Raleigh largely unaffected.

Wednesday was “pull night” at Healthtrax with wide-grip lat pull-downs and T-bar rows, followed by 30 minutes of yoga/stretching/meditation and 10 minutes in the Hydromassage lounge.

Thursday was “leg night” at Healthtrax with hex-bar squats and dead-lifts, followed by 30 minutes of yoga/stretching/meditation and 10 minutes in the Hydromassage lounge.

Healthtrax was closed on Friday due to Florence. Today I was able to do 30 minutes of yoga/stretching/meditation, a 60-minute Group Centergy class, and ten minutes in the Hydromassage lounge.

Chipotle Burrito Bowls 3,267 and 3,268

Chicken and Carnitas — Streets of Southpoint, Durham, NC

While I’m not a big fan of #FoodWithIntegrity at shopping centers, Chipotle at the Streets of Southpoint in Durham is two miles closer than the CMG in Morrisville where I ate on weekdays for more than three and a half years.

Pablo Guardiola and his team do a good job. I eat early to avoid the rush and because I get up early. Both days Pablo was having lunch with team members – the sign of a good restaurateur.

I’m grateful Chipotle is building a restaurant near the highway 54/55 intersection in Durham that’s only a couple of miles from my new office, and due to open in October.

Last night at Healthtrax was “push night” with lying dumbbell chest press and standing dumbbell shoulder press followed by 30 minutes of yoga/stretching/meditation and 10 minutes in the Hydromassage lounge.

Tonight at Healthtrax is a 60-minute Group Centergy class followed by 10 minutes in the Hydromassage lounge.

 

Chipotle Burrito Bowls 3,264, 3,265, and 3,266 et. al.

I was able to have #FoodWithIntegrity at the Chipotle Mexican Grill at the Miracle Mile Shops on Las Vegas Boulevard. It’s beneath Planet Hollywood and across the boulevard from the Cosmopolitan, my favorite hotel on the strip.

I was able to work out in the gym at the Aria a couple of mornings so I did my “push day” and “pull day” workouts in addition to walking about four miles every day.

I got back to Healthtrax today for my “leg day” workout, 30 minutes of yoga/stretching/meditation, 60 minutes of Group Centergy and 10 minutes on the Hydromassage lounge.

Thanks to TreatMyFeet for sending me a pair of leg compression sleeves to try. I wore them on my flights to and from Las Vegas. Normally when I fly and have been seated for more than an hour, my legs need a moment to get going when I stand up. Wearing the leg compression sleeves, I did not have this problem. My legs were ready to go as soon as I stood up. These sleeves will be part of my travel routine going forward.

Chipotle Burrito Bowl 3,263

Carnitas – Falls Village Shopping Center, Raleigh, NC

Thanks to Cassie and Dmonte for some great #FoodWithIntegrity today. Jorge and his team do a great job with this restaurant.

On my way to Healthtrax for “pull night” — T-bar rows and wide-grip lat pulldowns. This will be followed by 30 minutes of yoga/stretching/meditation and 10 minutes in the Hydromassage lounge.

Chipotle Burrito Bowl 3,262 et. al.

Chicken – Falls Village Shopping Center, Raleigh, NC

Thanks to Cassie, Jorge, Dmonte and the rest of the Falls Village team for great #FoodWithIntegrity today. This is the first CMG I’ve been to without Sweet and Low. As healthy as a try to be, I do like my sweet tea. However, being allergic to refined sugar I used Sweet and Low. I’ll either start bringing Stevia or Sweet and Low with me or mixing sweet and unsweet tea half and half. Perhaps my allergy has gone away after 18 years – we’ll see.

Tonight at Healthtrax I’ll do a 60-minute Group Centergy class followed by 10 minutes in the Hydromassage lounge.

Also, a shout out to the folks at TreatMyFeet for sending me the Foot & Ankle Hot/Cold Therapy System and the Foot & Ankle Hot/Cold Gel Wrap to try.

My feet, especially my big toe joints are full of arthritis having grown up kicking footballs and soccer balls straight on and breaking both my big toes several times. As such, I was very happy to have the opportunity to try these two products.

From my perspective, both products do a good job of icing or warming your foot and ankle. However, the Foot & Ankle Hot/Cold Gel Wrap is much more intense than the Foot & Ankle Hot/Cold Therapy System.

The difference is the foot wrap cover that’s the “boot” for the Foot & Ankle Hot/Cold Therapy System. The cover is fairly thick thus protecting your foot and ankle from the direct ice or heat.

From my perspective, after a couple of applications, the Foot & Ankle Hot/Cold Gel Wrap is more effective at numbing or warming your foot and ankle. The wrap also sweats when frozen so make sure you have a towel under it.

The Foot & Ankle Hot/Cold Therapy System is more luxurious and comfortable; however, it doesn’t seem as efficacious. That could be a function of my “no pain, no gain” mentality.

One other thought, both products deliver more hot and cold to the ankle than the ball of the foot. If you are buying one of these products for foot issues, I’d go with the Foot & Ankle Hot/Cold Gel Wrap since I did not feel much warmth or cold from the Foot & Ankle Hot/Cold Therapy System on my forefoot.

If you have questions about either one of these products, please reach out and I’m happy to share my experience with you.

Chipotle Burrito Bowl 3,261

Chicken – Morrisville, NC

Since my company is moving the office to another locale, this is my last #FoodWithIntegrity with Lawrence and his team. I appreciate them serving me more than 1,000 burrito bowls over the past three and a half years.

Tonight at Healthtrax is push night with lying dumbbell chest press and dumbbell shoulder press followed by 30 minutes of yoga/stretching/meditation and 10 minutes in the Hydromassage lounge.

Chipotle Burrito Bowl 3,260

Carnitas – Morrisville, NC

Thanks to the CMG team in Morrisville for some great #FoodWithIntegrity for me last few visits to their restaurant before my company moves offices.

Tonight at Healthtrax is a 60-minute Group Centergy class followed by 10 minutes on the Hydromassage lounge.