Chipotle Bridges Cultures

"We've always had a pretty sizable contingent of Hispanic workers or a big part of our workers with English as their second language," says Chris Arnold, spokesman for the Denver-based Chipotle. Recognizing the need to bridge the language gap, the chain's founder Steve Ells created a Chipotle culture and language diversity program in 1993, offering Spanish classes to Anglos and English lessons to minority workers.

Arnold credits the Chipotle program's success to the chain's decision in 1997 to pay hourly wages for the on- and off-site voluntary classes to the thousands of workers who've taken the courses. "We didn't want there to be reasons for people not to do it." he explains. According to the National Restaurant Association Research shows the restaurant field has more minority managers than any other industry and 17% of the foodservice workforce is Hispanic versus 12% in other job categories.

Arnold says the program extends far beyond the ability to communicate between customers and staff. All recipes, training materials and procedures are presented in both languages to integrate the cultural diversities of the team. "We didn't want to impose our way of doing things on anybody, but we did want to find a way to meet in the middle," he tells GSR. "It helps for them to assimilate into our culture and communities and helps them to do better in their jobs."

Arnold estimates Chipotle, which outsources the program to a Dallas/Fort Worth college, has 200 to 300 workers at any given time taking language classes. The program began primarily for "translation" purposes, but today's leaders now help employees with "the ins and outs" of everyday issues like obtaining driver's licenses, apartments and continuing education, according to Arnold. "It's particularly rewarding when a prep person, with minimal English skills, has gone through the program and moved up the ladder to general manager," he says.

Until recently, Chipotle Mexican Grill was the only restaurant chain to hire Richland College, a member of the Dallas County Community Colleges, to customize a "Command Spanish" course for its Anglo workforce. The first class of graduates for Taco Bueno is now working its way through the course, says Konley Kelley, assistant dean of Richland College corporate services. Richland is one of four licensees in North Texas for Command Spanish Inc., a Petal, MS-based operator that initially developed the occupational language program as a tool for the penal system. Richland's Command Spanish courses target workers in the fields of dental, medical, educational, hospitality, criminal justice, public safety, business and commerce, including banking.

Kelley says the customized courses vary in time based on profession. For restaurant workers, it takes 24 hours of class time. "It's adult friendly and results oriented," he says. "It's survival Spanish at its best." On the English side of the communications channel, it can take up to 180 hours to complete the college's eight levels.

"Chipotle is very pro training," Kelley says, adding several classes from both sides of the cultural divide have participated in Richland's classes. And across the board, he estimates it's been a 50-50% mix of Anglos and Hispanics signing up for language classes in the three years that Richland's been a Command Spanish provider for the corporate and nonprofit worlds.

Arnold says all five Chipotle regions participate in the cultural and diversity program. With 12 years to tweak the model, it's most often offered internally. "We use outside facilitators when needed," he explains. He estimates a high percentage of the workforce has taken classes and fully expects the momentum will pick up as the chain forges ahead on a fast-paced expansion to add about 100 restaurants per year.

Arnold says Chipotle's strategy relies on existing markets to grow the restaurant count. Of the 100 openings per year, he says 80 are in existing markets. "That kind of formula allows us to get into two, three or four new cities every year," he says, explaining the inroad is followed by a quick ramp-up of more locations. The first restaurant in New York City opened two years; there are a dozen today. The same kind of rollout is under way in Portland and Seattle. "We will do it as fast as we can without compromising our standards," Arnold says.

The corporate-owned restaurants are opening with roughly 20% as freestanding models and the balance in inline spots. The average restaurant is 2,300 sf of individually designed space. "We design something that complements its surroundings rather than invading them," Arnold stresses.

With the Oak Brook, IL-based McDonald's Corp. as it majority owner, Chipotle has marked its eighth consecutive year of double-digit, same store-sales growth, according to Arnold. The chain doesn't put out its sales volume, but the Chicago-based Techonomics estimates each unit generates $1.4 million annually. "We build based on demand," he stresses.