How Chipotle Changed American Fast Food Forever

PCLoadLetter · Mar 19, 2014

Steak Snabler said:

What Subway is missing, I guess, is the hipster Q-rating. Maybe they should fill all their locations with brushed aluminum and laminated concrete (which Chipotle probably stole from Apple).
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Also, edible food. Subway should try that.

YankeeFan · Mar 19, 2014

Besides the nicer decor, the biggest difference between Subway and Chipotle is that they don't serve sandwiches!

Prior to them, it was rare to find actual food served quickly. Sure, you could get sandwiches, pizza, and even Taco Bell could sling food at you quickly, but Chipotle was was one of the first do do it with actual food.

Others have followed their formula.

A few years ago, Food Network ran a series called America's Next Great Restaurant, in which Steve Ells served as one of the judges. Nearly every competitor wanted to open the "Chipotle of Asian food," or Italian food, or Indian food. (Which drove Ells crazy.) But, you can find Indian, Mediterranean, and other cuisines served in this fassion now.

joe king · Mar 19, 2014

YankeeFan said:

Besides the nicer decor, the biggest difference between Subway and Chipotle is that they don't serve sandwiches!

Prior to them, it was rare to find actual food served quickly. Sure, you could get sandwiches, pizza, and even Taco Bell could sling food at you quickly, but Chipotle was was one of the first do do it with actual food.

Others have followed their formula.

A few years ago, Food Network ran a series called America's Next Great Restaurant, in which Steve Ells served as one of the judges. Nearly every competitor wanted to open the "Chipotle of Asian food," or Italian food, or Indian food. (Which drove Ells crazy.) But, you can find Indian, Mediterranean, and other cuisines served in this fassion now.
Click to expand...

Isn't that sort of what Panda Express is trying to do?

joe king · Dec 15, 2014

Buck said:

Steak Snabler said:

Yeah, I wasn't talking about the quality of the food necessarily, just the business model (though I enjoy Subway).

In other words, giving Chipotle credit for coming up with the billion-dollar idea of bridging the gap between sit-down and fast-food restaurants --- and marketing itself as a healthy alternative --- is completely incorrect. Subway was doing the same thing on a national basis in the early 1990s.
Click to expand...

As someone who grew up in South Jersey, I always loathed Subway.
However, after 13 years of living in Central California, I've been worn down. We've got more Subways than Starbucks in the town where I work. Getting a decent sandwich around here is almost impossible anyway.
Subway is close to my office and works with my diet/fitness goals.

I am sad to say I've fallen into the pattern of eating lunch at Subway several times a week.
Click to expand...

Outing alert!

MileHigh · Mar 19, 2014

There have been other sandwich places around that do what Subway does. Quiznos has been around for 30-plus years (of course, now in bankruptcy). But the Chipotle/Subway concept are basically the same: See your food made and add/subtract as you watch it.

Works for healthier food like salads, including these two that I hit up but are based here:

https://www.greenfinesalad.com/menu/
http://www.madgreens.com/menu/themenu/

And as mentioned before, these guys

http://illegalpetes.com/menu

are a super-smaller, hipper version of Chipotle with a bar and louder music and breakfast versions.

Jake_Taylor · Mar 19, 2014

Cava Mezze Grill is a DC-area chain that's basically Greek Chipotle. It's pretty damn good.

MTM · Mar 19, 2014

joe king said:

YankeeFan said:

Besides the nicer decor, the biggest difference between Subway and Chipotle is that they don't serve sandwiches!

Prior to them, it was rare to find actual food served quickly. Sure, you could get sandwiches, pizza, and even Taco Bell could sling food at you quickly, but Chipotle was was one of the first do do it with actual food.

Others have followed their formula.

A few years ago, Food Network ran a series called America's Next Great Restaurant, in which Steve Ells served as one of the judges. Nearly every competitor wanted to open the "Chipotle of Asian food," or Italian food, or Indian food. (Which drove Ells crazy.) But, you can find Indian, Mediterranean, and other cuisines served in this fassion now.
Click to expand...

Isn't that sort of what Panda Express is trying to do?
Click to expand...

Except that Panda sucks. There are tons of mom-and-pop and small chains that do fast-serve Chinese better, and less expensive, than them.

BDC99 · Mar 19, 2014

Greek Chipotle would be a big hit with me. I love Chipotle, and Moe's is pretty good too. Never been to Qdoba, and they opened a Panchero's in my town, but it closed down before I had a chance to try it. That is now a place called Taco Son, which is pretty damn good.
Subway is OK for what it is. If you need a quick, relatively healthy meal for cheap. I agree the quality has gone down, but I don't think it was really that tasty to begin with. I was just younger and didn't realize all my choices. But I'll still hit up Subway for a foot-long to get a couple of meals to bring to work for 5 bucks. Still haven't tried the Fritos on my sub.

spikechiquet · Mar 19, 2014

MTM said:

joe king said:

YankeeFan said:

Besides the nicer decor, the biggest difference between Subway and Chipotle is that they don't serve sandwiches!

Prior to them, it was rare to find actual food served quickly. Sure, you could get sandwiches, pizza, and even Taco Bell could sling food at you quickly, but Chipotle was was one of the first do do it with actual food.

Others have followed their formula.

A few years ago, Food Network ran a series called America's Next Great Restaurant, in which Steve Ells served as one of the judges. Nearly every competitor wanted to open the "Chipotle of Asian food," or Italian food, or Indian food. (Which drove Ells crazy.) But, you can find Indian, Mediterranean, and other cuisines served in this fassion now.
Click to expand...

Isn't that sort of what Panda Express is trying to do?
Click to expand...

Except that Panda sucks. There are tons of mom-and-pop and small chains that do fast-serve Chinese better, and less expensive, than them.
Click to expand...

I don't have Panda near me anymore. I miss it. Mmmm, Firecracker Chicken.

joe king · Mar 19, 2014

BDC99 said:

Greek Chipotle would be a big hit with me. I love Chipotle, and Moe's is pretty good too. Never been to Qdoba, and they opened a Panchero's in my town, but it closed down before I had a chance to try it. That is now a place called Taco Son, which is pretty damn good.
Subway is OK for what it is. If you need a quick, relatively healthy meal for cheap. I agree the quality has gone down, but I don't think it was really that tasty to begin with. I was just younger and didn't realize all my choices. But I'll still hit up Subway for a foot-long to get a couple of meals to bring to work for 5 bucks. Still haven't tried the Fritos on my sub.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's good and healthy!

PCLoadLetter · Dec 15, 2014

joe king said:

Buck said:

Steak Snabler said:

Yeah, I wasn't talking about the quality of the food necessarily, just the business model (though I enjoy Subway).

In other words, giving Chipotle credit for coming up with the billion-dollar idea of bridging the gap between sit-down and fast-food restaurants --- and marketing itself as a healthy alternative --- is completely incorrect. Subway was doing the same thing on a national basis in the early 1990s.
Click to expand...

As someone who grew up in South Jersey, I always loathed Subway.
However, after 13 years of living in Central California, I've been worn down. We've got more Subways than Starbucks in the town where I work. Getting a decent sandwich around here is almost impossible anyway.
Subway is close to my office and works with my diet/fitness goals.

I am sad to say I've fallen into the pattern of eating lunch at Subway several times a week.
Click to expand...

Outing alert!

Click to expand...

I ran into Jared once while visiting Indianapolis. He was eating dinner at Outback.

Buck · Dec 15, 2014

PCLoadLetter said:

joe king said:

Buck said:

Steak Snabler said:

Yeah, I wasn't talking about the quality of the food necessarily, just the business model (though I enjoy Subway).

In other words, giving Chipotle credit for coming up with the billion-dollar idea of bridging the gap between sit-down and fast-food restaurants --- and marketing itself as a healthy alternative --- is completely incorrect. Subway was doing the same thing on a national basis in the early 1990s.
Click to expand...

As someone who grew up in South Jersey, I always loathed Subway.
However, after 13 years of living in Central California, I've been worn down. We've got more Subways than Starbucks in the town where I work. Getting a decent sandwich around here is almost impossible anyway.
Subway is close to my office and works with my diet/fitness goals.

I am sad to say I've fallen into the pattern of eating lunch at Subway several times a week.
Click to expand...

Outing alert!

Click to expand...

I ran into Jared once while visiting Indianapolis. He was eating dinner at Outback.
Click to expand...

The guy just loves restaurant chains.

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How Chipotle Changed American Fast Food Forever

PCLoadLetter Well-Known Member

YankeeFan Well-Known Member

joe king Active Member

joe king Active Member

MileHigh Moderator Staff Member

Jake_Taylor Well-Known Member

MTM Well-Known Member

BDC99 Well-Known Member

spikechiquet Well-Known Member

joe king Active Member

PCLoadLetter Well-Known Member

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How Chipotle Changed American Fast Food Forever

PCLoadLetter Well-Known Member

YankeeFan Well-Known Member

joe king Active Member

joe king Active Member

MileHigh Moderator Staff Member

Jake_Taylor Well-Known Member

MTM Well-Known Member

BDC99 Well-Known Member

spikechiquet Well-Known Member

joe king Active Member

PCLoadLetter Well-Known Member

Buck Well-Known Member

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