1254 ET - Chipotle CEO Scott Boatwright says some of its restaurants are not ready to handle peak business periods because they're still prepping. Morning crews begin prep work at 6 a.m. or 7 a.m. so that the process is finished by opening at 10:30 a.m., Boatwright says. Hiccups have often occurred at restaurants without a so-called expo, or a crew member who acts as a liaison between the food assembly line and the cash register. "Restaurants without an expo in place [are] often still prepping and not properly deployed for the peak period," Boatwright says on an analyst call. He also says an expanded rollout of kitchen equipment should expedite prep work. A produce slicer will be in all restaurants by this summer, he says, which will improve speed of prep and consistency of cut sizes for onions, bell peppers and jalapeños. (roshan.fernandez@wsj.com)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 24, 2025 12:55 ET (16:55 GMT)

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