Chipotle Set To Open Dozens Of New Drive-Thru 'Chipotlanes' Locations

Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol told investors on Wednesday that the fast-food company plans to open dozens of mobile order pick-up lanes, which the company has aptly named "Chipotlanes," a brand new locations.

While these lanes seemingly operate like normal fast food drive-thrus, there's a difference. According to Niccol, the company's Chipotlanes can only be used for pick-up orders made on either the company's mobile app or through a form online. Customers can then arrange a scheduled time to grab their orders from these drive-thrus.

Ten Chipotlane locations already exist in the U.S, with the planned new locations as part of a larger rollout.

"Arguably, it will be the fastest way to [get] Chipotle — going through the Chipotlane," Niccol said.

With the addition of dozens of new Chipotlanes comes the opportunity for the franchise to play around with new store structures, notably ones that are focused more on food pick-up and less on dining in, with a focus on app and Internet-based ordering.

News of the food chain's plans for expansion comes in the wake of a wave of good fortune for the company. Late on Wednesday, the company saw a 10 percent surge in its stock price and an uptick in shares by almost 50 percent. Last year was also its recorded best fiscal year since 2013.

In addition to this, Chipotle has seen growth spurts in its digital sector, with digital sales up by 65.6 percent, which has contributed to 12.9 percent of company sales overall.

It might be early days for Chipotle's new conceptual drive-thru, but customers who have been able to stop by one of their already-existing Chipotlane locations have noted their efficiency. Despite this, others have noted that there are kinks to work out: even if Chipotle's app is labor-saving and productive, it doesn't factor in human error or other variables like lunch or dinner rushes.

"Use the app to order, it's usually quicker except during rush periods on the weekend. This could be mitigated to a great degree with strict enforcement of policies [and] signage which is a management issue," one customer at a San Antonio location advised.