Chipotle crushes sales estimates during fourth quarter

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Chipotle crushed estimates on the top and bottom lines. Shares initially fell 3% before paring losses in after-hours trading. Shares of the burrito giant hit all-time highs Tuesday.

Here were the main numbers for Chipotle’s fourth quarter, compared to Bloomberg estimates:

  • Revenue: $1.44 billion vs. $1.4 billion expected

  • Adjusted earnings per share: $2.86 vs. $2.73 expected

  • Same-store sales: +13.4% vs. +9.8% expected

Chipotle Restaurant for photos, to go with the round-up story, on area mex style fast food. Giant Burritos are the hottest thing in fastfood these days, Chipotle, Qdoba Mexican Grill, Panchero's Mexican Grill and Baja Sol Tortilla Grill just to name a few places marketing the style. Chipotle's huge burrito at the Maple Grove location. (Photo by DAVID BREWSTER/Star Tribune via Getty Images)
A Chipotle burrito. (Photo by DAVID BREWSTER/Star Tribune via Getty Images)

The company’s digital sales during the fourth quarter grew 78.3% and accounted for 19.6% of total sales. Digital orders have been growing at a rapid clip and are important to Chipotle’s business because they usually have higher check averages and create a much more seamless experience for customers. In the third quarter, digital sales accounted for 18.2% of Chipotle’s total sales for the quarter.

"We had a strong ending to 2019 as Q4 marks the eighth-consecutive quarter of accelerating comparable sales, which highlights that running great restaurants with the right leaders and the right culture is delivering outstanding financial performance," CEO Brian Niccol said in a statement.

"For the full year, Chipotle's average unit volumes exceeded $2.2 million and digital sales surpassed a billion dollars, showing that our key strategies are working, and the Chipotle brand is thriving as we build a sustainable model that helps cultivate a better world."

During the fourth-quarter, Chipotle opened 80 new restaurants, 46 of which included drive-thrus, also known as Clipotlanes. The company opened 66 new stores with Chipotlanes during 2019.

For the full year, revenue increased 14.8% from 2018 and totaled $5.6 billion with same-store sales growing 11.1%, boosted by 7% transaction growth and a 4.1% increase in the average check, according to the company. Meanwhile, 2019 restaurant level operating margin was 20.5% for 2019, an improvement from 18.7% in 2018.

Looking to 2020, Chipotle expects mid-single digit comparable restaurant sales growth and plans to open 150 to 165 new restaurants with more than half featuring Chipotlanes.

Chipotle’s fourth-quarter results come on the heels of a strong third quarter, when the fast-casual chain reported 11% same-store sales growth and nearly 88% growth in digital sales.

Analysts and investors have applauded Chipotle’s successful strategic execution over the past couple of years as the company attempted to rebrand and rebuild after a devastating slew of food-borne illness cases rocked the company. CEO Brian Niccol took the helm in 2018, and menu innovation, digital initiatives and delivery expansion fueled a turnaround. Shares were up 183% over the past two years, as of Tuesday’s close.