Chipotle Definitely Raising Prices, But Now ‘Virtually GMO Free’!

We’ve recently reported that when it comes to removing GMOs from food, Chipotle is doing a lot of things right. By taking a sincere, purposeful stance on the reasons why GMO ingredients are being removed, it seems customers are responding well to Chipotle’s message of “Food with Integrity.” As opposed to other companies, which seem to remove bioengineered ingredients more so to quickly appease its customers, Chipotle is in the fight against GMO ingredients for the long haul, or so it seems, at least.

We have also reported that Chipotle has plans to raise its prices in the name of better, non-GMO ingredients. In a recent report made via Food Business News, this price increase is all but confirmed by the company’s chief financial officer, Jack Hartung.

“It has been nearly three years since our last company-wide price increase, and while we want to remain accessible to our customers, we are at a point where we need to pass along these rapidly rising food costs,” said Hartung. “We are currently reviewing our menu prices on a market-by-market basis compared to competitors, and based on our analysis so far we plan to increase prices on average somewhere in the mid-single digits. We expect we will start installing new menu boards with higher prices later this quarter and finish installation by early in the third quarter.”

This news also comes in the face of increased food costs across the board; Chipotle is looking to raise prices as it faces its own buying challenges. Since becoming focused on non-GMO ingredients, such as moving from soy oil to sunflower and rice bran oil, the company is paying a bit more on its end. The great news with all of this? Chipotle reports that ii is now nearly all non-GMO!

“To date we have eliminated virtually all of the G.M.O. ingredients in our food,” said Steve Ells, Chipotle’s chairman and co-chief executive officer. “Our corn and flour tortillas are the only foods we currently serve that are made using ingredients that contain or could contain trace amounts of G.M.O.s, and now we are testing new non-G.M.O. recipes for these tortillas and we hope to be able to roll them out by the end of the year.”

So, there is mixed news here. The prices at Chipotle are indeed going up – but, in the name of non-GMO food, it seems many customers may think it’s worth it. In many ways, Chipotle is a pioneer in the fast-casual restaurant industry, paving the way for better, more sustainable ingredients. In the name of a less GMO-infested food supply, we love these moves and are willing to scrape a few more coins from our wallets for safer, healthier food. How about you, Green Monsters?

Image source: Tacvbo / Flickr