A Day in the Life of Chipotle’s COO, Who Visits a Dozen Stores a Week

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jason Kidd, the chief operating officer at Chipotle, based in Newport Beach, California. It’s been edited for length and clarity.

I’m the COO at Chipotle — and this is my dream job.

I love the ability to influence and interact with so many people. I spent about 20 years in retail before I got into the restaurant business, and I see a lot of similarities between the two. I don’t know what I’d be doing if I weren’t out there on the front line, shoulder to shoulder, seeing what’s happening. That’s the best part of the role.

I’m on the road about two to three days a week, and I visit roughly a dozen stores in each market. About three out of every four visits are planned, meaning I let the leadership team know one to two weeks in advance.

Chipotle wants to deliver a consistent experience for our guests. As leaders, we try to be consistent with our visits. We talk about the food, we talk about people, we talk about the results. It’s important for our leadership, too. I’m consistent in how I show up and what we do.

I travel two to three days a week

I would rather fly in the morning, and I like to go through TSA about 30 minutes before we board. I get to the airport at the very last minute. It’s important to pack as much patience as possible when traveling. Nothing goes to plan, and you have to make the most of it.

I’m usually back from traveling on most weekends and on Mondays and Fridays.

I give my family a lot of credit, especially my wife. We’ve been together for 27 years. I wouldn’t be nearly as successful if it weren’t for her. We plan family vacations in advance and are very careful about taking them a couple of times a year. When I’m home, I’m present and intentional.

I wake up before 6 a.m. and exercise

Taking care of myself is important. I usually work out between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. I do strength exercise two days a week and cardio three days a week. I try to stay active, break a sweat, get the blood flowing. Travel is a huge part of the job, so I have to stay healthy.

While I’m working out, I listen to the Wall Street Journal’s “What’s News” podcast. It sets a good perspective on what’s going on for the day, and I may read some articles that interest me. Then I’ll go back and reference those later on in the morning.

I have a post-workout coffee and a small breakfast

After my workout, I have a black coffee with a splash of cream and a small protein-based breakfast. I’m going to be eating Chipotle all day — I taste food at every restaurant, sampling guac, salsa, and proteins. So I make sure my breakfast is fairly light.

One of the first things I review at that time is our sales report from the day before. That gives me a snapshot of trends, how the business is performing, and what might need my attention that day.

I visit the first restaurant before 9 a.m.

I like to get into a restaurant before 9 a.m. because I start the day while they’re doing prep. I stay through opening at 10:45 a.m..

Every Chipotle restaurant prepares fresh food every day. They’re hand-smashing guacamole. There’s no can openers, no shortcuts.

It allows me to really see how the team is doing. The foundation for making a great day is making sure the prep goes well in the back of the house, shoulder to shoulder, tasting the food, observing preparation, and spending time with the team.

We go over KPIs for that specific restaurant and for the region or local area. We really interact with the people to make sure that they’re genuinely interested in what they’re doing.

Consistency is a priority

KPIs are important, but showing consistency is, too.

In the first couple of hours in the restaurant, I love listening and observing what’s working, what’s not, and where teams need support.

I look for two key things at restaurants: Food and people. Is the food right? Are the people right? When I say people, I’m referring to our team members, our restaurant managers, and our guests.

Last year, we promoted 23,000 people, so we’re constantly identifying internal talent during these visits. We observe how people show up and how they react.

I head to the next location for lunch at 11 a.m.

Right after opening, I go to the next restaurant for a couple of hours.

My go-to order is a bowl with brown rice, black beans, chicken, and carnitas, hot salsa, tomato salsa, a little bit of sour cream, some guacamole, and a little bit of lettuce on top. I eat it almost every day, and I never get tired of it.

I stand in line with guests and interact with them. I buy lunch for the people around me, tell them who I am, and talk to them about how often they come to Chipotle, what they order, what they like about it, and what we can do better.

After lunch, we head to the back of the house and do a consistency check. We ask about the food, how prep went that morning, how KPIs are doing and trending, and what they need help with.

I go to another location around 1 p.m.

Employees are typically super nervous because they want to put their best foot forward and show off what they can do. I try to put them at ease as soon as possible. When somebody says they’re nervous, my favorite response is, “I am, too. Let’s get through this.”

I try to diffuse the nerves because the last thing I want to do is take away from their ability to do their job. I try to make it as informal as possible.

I spend about an hour driving around

I’m also responsible for development and real estate. While we’re traveling, I like to take the team to visit potential sites and look at new restaurants. I try to understand the market and get a feel for it.

Our long-term goal is to reach over 7,000 restaurants in the US and Canada. A big part of that is understanding the market and what’s going on.

I catch up on calls and emails around 4:30 p.m.

I spend the late afternoon connecting with direct reports, cross-functional partners, or peers. I also take time to recap the day with the team and determine whether any immediate action needs to be taken.

I connect with my family around 6 p.m.

My family is incredibly important to me, and when I’m on the road, I try to stay connected. I call my wife around 6 p.m. and try to reach my college-aged kids. They’re sometimes hard to pin down, but I’ll try to reach out or trade texts.

I have dinner with the regional team

If I’m on the road, I often have a roughly 90-minute dinner with three or four people from the regional team. Those conversations are important for getting to know people in a different way. Everybody has a story. I try to figure out what they want to do and whether they have aspirations to move up.

I end my night watching sports

I’m an avid sports fan, so if there’s something on, I’ll try to catch the end of a game before getting back to the hotel. I may read something before going to sleep around 11 p.m. Then, I do it all over the next day.

Family, friends, and time to myself help me recharge

I try to interact with friends who don’t care about what I’m doing at work. Talking to other people about what’s going on in their lives re-energizes me. Exercise also helps. I like to play golf and travel, and I like to do those things on a daily basis.

If I can sit down and watch 30 minutes of sports by myself, it also recharges me. When I’m running low, I need a little time to myself — and if I take that time, I’m recharged and ready to go.