Chipotle pledges to hire 10,000 workers as dining rooms reopen

Chipotle Mexican Grill is committed to hiring 10,000 workers in the coming months.

In May, the company launched a campaign to boost hiring, resulting in some 8,000 new employees to date. Chipotle said he received about 700,000 job applications this year. Now it has more than 85,000 workers across the country.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, the chain has been opening new locations and building car lanes for online orders only. Later this month, it plans to open its 100th “Chipotlane,” which requires 50% more employees than a traditional location, thanks to higher digital order volumes.

“Our Chipotlanes, outside the door, are 5% to 10% higher than the opening of a new traditional restaurant, and some as high as 30%,” said Scott Boatwright, director of restaurant for Chipotle.

Chipotle had planned to open 150 to 165 new net restaurants in 2020, about half of which would have Chipotlanes, but the chain withdrew that prospect due to the pandemic.

The summer months generally trigger restaurant hiring, but promises like Chipotle came this year after millions of restaurant workers lost their jobs due to the pandemic. The unemployment rate in the United States is 11.1%.

Boatwright said the chain is experiencing an all-time low turnover at the crew and manager level. Chipotle has paid about $ 30 million in bonuses and is raising his hourly wage for employees who worked at his restaurants during the pandemic.

While some fast-food chains have announced plans to hire thousands of new workers, the rise of new infections in some parts of the country and the subsequent closure of restaurants could halt those plans. McDonald’s, for example, hoped to hire 260,000 workers by reopening their dining rooms. Since then, the chain has stopped the reopening of dining rooms for three weeks due to new cases.

Chipotle shares rose more than 2% in afternoon trading. The stock, which has a market value of $ 31 billion, is up 34% this year.