By Dustin Stone, RTN staff writer - 11.3.2026
Chipotle Mexican Grill plans to take an AI-powered kitchen forecasting tool nationwide in early 2027 after expanding it to more than 500 restaurants, as the chain increases investment in technology intended to improve throughput and production capacity. CEO Scott Boatwright outlined the projects during the company’s October 28 earnings call. The initiatives span food preparation, digital-order execution, restaurant management and catering.
The expansion comes as Chipotle works to build traffic while managing higher operating costs. Its third-quarter results showed comparable sales growth of 2.1%, including a 0.8% increase in transactions. Restaurant-level operating margin declined to 23.3% from 24.5% a year earlier. Digital orders accounted for 38.8% of food and beverage revenue, up from 36.7% in the prior-year quarter. That growing share places more of the customer experience in the hands of employees preparing orders away from the front counter.
The Cook to Needs system uses demand forecasts to recommend preparation quantities and timing. Boatwright said it helps “reduce manual data entry, increase prep efficiency and readiness, reduce waste.” Chipotle previously tested demand-based kitchen management in a 2022 pilot involving eight California restaurants. That PreciTaste-powered system monitored ingredient levels and notified employees how much to prepare and when to begin cooking. The new rollout substantially expands the number of restaurants using AI-based preparation guidance.
A separate project, Chipotle Kitchen, is scheduled to reach several hundred restaurants by year-end before expanding systemwide during 2027. The proprietary digital makeline interface is intended to improve accuracy, order timing and production speed.
The software investments accompany an expansion of Chipotle’s high-efficiency equipment package. The package includes a three-pan rice cooker, dual-sided plancha, higher-capacity fryer and produce slicer. According to the company, the equipment increases batch capacity, reduces cooking time and automates portions of produce preparation.
Boatwright said more than 1,700 restaurants had the package, with approximately 2,000 targeted by year-end. He reported more than two additional entrées during the peak 15-minute period at equipped restaurants. The throughput improvement was attributed to the equipment package. Chipotle did not identify it as a measured result of the AI forecasting rollout. Together, the investments address both preparation planning and physical production limits. Forecasting can help crews anticipate demand, while the equipment gives them more capacity to respond when orders arrive.
Chipotle is also developing an in-restaurant AI assistant, Ava Cado, with potential applications in operational insights and coaching for general managers. The company introduced the Ava Cado name in October 2024 through its Paradox-powered conversational hiring platform. That system answers applicant questions, collects information, schedules interviews and sends offers to candidates selected by managers.
In a February 2025 update, Chipotle reported that the average time between completing an application and starting work had fallen from 12 days to four. Management’s latest comments describe an operational assistant under development, extending the discussion of AI assistance into day-to-day restaurant management.
Another priority is catering, where Chipotle plans a national expansion beginning in the first quarter of 2027. The company is developing custom load-balancing tools to support that growth. Catering and family meals currently represent approximately 3% of sales. Boatwright said the objective is to grow those occasions while ensuring they do “not disrupt the core business.”
The initiative links order growth with production planning. Catering brings larger orders and advance notice, but also concentrates preparation work that can overlap with regular lunch and dinner demand. The technology is intended to help restaurants accommodate that workload as the business expands.
Chipotle’s rollout comes as other restaurant companies pursue kitchen technology and automation strategies of their own. CAVA described an expansion of its Connected Kitchen initiative in its 2025 annual report, citing kitchen display systems, TurboChef ovens and AI-enabled pilots supporting efficiency and order accuracy. The Mediterranean fast-casual chain is combining digital production tools with equipment investments, a similar approach to the mix Chipotle is deploying.
Sweetgreen has invested more heavily in automated assembly through its Infinite Kitchen technology. The company’s second-quarter filing reported 35 equipped restaurants as of June 28, 2026. Following the December 2025 sale of its Spyce business to Wonder, Sweetgreen continues to use and deploy the technology under licensing and supply arrangements.
Wendy’s has focused part of its AI investment on ordering through FreshAi, its Google Cloud-powered drive-thru assistant. McDonald’s has outlined a broader operating program through Restaurant > NEXT, including voice ordering, automated inventory, order-accuracy tools, kitchen workflows and predictive maintenance.
The projects reflect an industry-wide effort to improve the movement of orders from purchase through preparation and handoff. For Chipotle, 2027 is set to bring a broader test of that approach, with national forecasting deployment, expanded digital kitchen software and a larger catering business planned alongside continued equipment investment.
