(NewsNation) — Shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill stock tumbled this week as the restaurant chain pointed to economic pressures weighing on customers, particularly younger ones and those who aren’t making high incomes.
CEO Scott Boatwright said that households making less than $100,000 are dining out less, often because of concerns about the economy and inflation.
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Boatwright pointed specifically to 25- to 35-year-old customers, who are feeling the weight of unemployment, increased student loan repayments and slower growth in wages with respect to inflation, and he said he thinks restaurants across the industry are seeing something similar. Chipotle cut its forecast for an important underlying measure of sales growth this year.
During an earnings call, Boatwright pointed to the company’s rewards programs as a way to bring customers, especially younger ones, back into the fold.
“We believe we have an opportunity to create more engaging experiences that drive consumers into the rewards funnel, increasing our active members and resulting in higher frequency and spend,” he said.
