Chipotle Looks To Hire 10,000 More Workers After Digital Sales Boom

Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) said it will be hiring as many as 10,000 employees over the next few months after seeing its digital sales grow by more than 80% during the coronavirus pandemic.

The fast-casual restaurant chain has already hired 8,000 workers to date as it looks to keep up with the growing demand that it has seen during the COVID-19 crisis.

Chipotle received nearly 700,000 job applications in 2020, kicking off a hiring campaign in May.

The Southern California-based company said sales grew despite stay-at-home orders, as it looked to navigate the new guidelines of the coronavirus. Chipotle closed its dining in most locations and has been working to reopen them as local and state guidelines allow.

New hires will receive a series of benefits, including a debt-free college degree and access to mental healthcare through its Employee Assistance Programs. The company also offers enhanced paid parental leave, an all-crew bonus, and paid time off.

Chipotle has more than 85,000 workers and over 2,600 restaurants in the U.S., Canada, U.K., France and Germany.

The company also opened 19 new restaurants in Q1 2020 and is adding drive-thru lanes, which it is calling Chipotlanes, at several of its locations. Later in July, Chipotle plans to open its 100th Chipotlane, which the company said will require 50% more workers to operate based on the growth it has seen for online orders.

Chipotle initially said it would open 150 to 165 new restaurants in 2020, but scaled back its plans as the coronavirus pandemic hit, CNBC reported.

In the first quarter of 2020, Chipotle saw its revenues increased by 7.8% to $1.4 billion, with a comparable sales increase of 3.3%. Digital sales accounted for 26.3% of the company’s sales for the quarter as it saw COVID-19 negatively impact its comparable restaurant sales.

Shares of Chipotle were trading at $1,123.88 as of 10:44 a.m. ET, up $20.86 or 1.89%.