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Big money food fight

21-6-2024 < Attack the System 48 246 words
 
One of the most interesting battles in business is taking place on your lunch break.

Back to the office means the return of the age-old question: What’s for lunch?


The fight to be the answer to that question is a valuable one. Market research firm Future Markets Insights pegged the lunch takeout market at $215.3 billion in 2022.



Chipotle’s latest marketing campaign shows how creative restaurants are getting to nab your lunch order. The fast-casual chain knows where its bread is buttered burrito is wrapped, advertising a limited-time meal targeted at young, male office workers.



The Chipotle Boy Bowl has double chicken, white rice, black beans, mild salsa, corn, sour cream, cheese, guacamole, and lettuce, in a nod to the gym and finance bros who frequent the chain. (Truly knowing their audience would have been touting the “macros” — carb, protein, and fat stats — of the dish, but I digress. )



The newest addition to the menu could have been a mea culpa by Chipotle. In recent years, the chain has faced criticism over what some customers say is a drop in quality coupled with rising prices.



That culminated last month in popular food influencer and former Chipotle collaborator Keith Lee complaining about the chain’s portion sizes.


Still, Chipotle’s stock, which is preparing for a historic 50-for-1 split next week, has persevered. Its share price is up more than 43% this year.

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