Overview
- Fourth‑quarter comparable sales fell 2.5% with transactions down 3.2%, while revenue reached $2.98 billion and adjusted EPS came in at $0.25, slightly topping estimates.
- Management forecast roughly flat same‑store sales for 2026 and plans menu price increases of about 1% to 2%, which it said will not fully offset inflation.
- Shares fell as much as 11% after the report and were down roughly 6% premarket as investors reacted to the cautious sales outlook.
- Chipotle outlined a four‑part traffic plan featuring the return of Chicken al Pastor next week, a high‑protein and snack line, a rewards relaunch, and AI‑driven personalization.
- The company will keep expanding aggressively with 350 to 370 new restaurants planned for 2026 after opening 132 in Q4, while noting headwinds including record U.S. beef prices and a pullback among lower‑income diners.