Chipotle Sales Up after Moves to Go Non-GMO

As we recently reported, Chipotle is making big moves to use less GMO ingredients. Chipotle’s website explains how the restaurant’s fryers have already switched from soybean to sunflower oil. Since sunflowers have not yet been genetically modified, its oil is a “great non-GMO alternative.”

Chipotle is also one of the only restaurants that voluntary labels its GMO ingredients (found here) and the company’s ultimate goal is to “eliminate GMOs from Chipotle’s ingredients,” hinting that it may have plans to source non-GMO produce, beans, and meat in the near future.

While this means prices at Chipotle have (or will) go up by three to five percent, Chipotle is seeing nothing but profit.

According to Consumerist, “Chipotle recently reported a 30% increase in quarterly profits and sales at stores open more than a year were up 9.3%. In the last quarter of 2013, stores were averaging an additional $622/day over the same time period in 2012.”

But what has caused this spike in profits? Simple:

“The most obvious difference in the company’s approach was its vow in March to eliminate genetically engineered ingredients,” writes Kyle Stock of BusinessWeek.

Great work, Chiptole! Now, other companies please take note: your consumers want non-GMO options, so please start providing them!