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If you\u2019re stumped looking up at the menu of a Chipotle<\/a>, you can take inspiration from CEO Brian Niccol\u2019s go-to order: a chicken burrito bowl with white rice, fajita veggies, pico de gallo, and \u201ca little\u201d cheese. That\u2019s in addition to an accompanying barbacoa quesadilla and, of course, chips and guac.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s probably a little too much food for my age,\u201d Niccol told Fortune<\/em>. \u201cBut, you know, it\u2019s hard to resist.\u201d<\/p>\n Though he never worked behind the counter at Chipotle<\/a>, Niccol has experienced firsthand what it takes to assemble his meal, among many others. After taking over as CEO<\/a> of the fast-casual chain in 2018, part of Niccol\u2019s initiation was training at a location in Denver, Colorado, where he learned how to prepare the chain\u2019s vegetables and toppings, manage the restaurant\u2019s peak lunch hours, and learn the skill that is perhaps most lauded among fast-food workers: bundling a burrito\u2019s ingredients into a tightly wrapped tortilla.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWrapping a burrito is an art,\u201d Niccol said.<\/p>\n Self-admittedly slow to learn burrito wrapping and in need of repetition to become proficient on the line, Niccol admitted he \u201cripped a few too many\u201d tortillas during his training process. But the behind-the-counter experience gave him a deeper appreciation for the workers who prepare and serve Chipotle\u2019s meals, which helped generate $2.7 billion in first\u2013quarter revenue<\/a> for the company, and grew the company to over 3,300 locations in 48 states.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of people don\u2019t realize there\u2019s a lot of precision that goes into the way our teams make the rice, cook the chicken, cook the steak,\u201d Niccol said. \u201cIt really matters the way we cut, the way we prep everything. That was pretty eye opening to see, especially at the scale at which we have to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n But if learning the art of burrito-wrapping was a steep learning curve for Niccol, reviving the company from a soured reputation must have been its own stomach ache for the new CEO.<\/p>\n When Niccol became the company\u2019s leader in 2018, Chipotle was still reeling from the impact of its 2016 E. coli<\/em> outbreaks<\/a> that sickened over a thousand customers, forcing the company to temporarily shut down over 40 locations. Chipotle\u2019s comparable sales fell 20% year-over-year following the outbreak, and the company coughed up $25 million<\/a> in 2020, the largest-ever fine in a federal food safety case.<\/p>\n Chipotle recovered under Niccol\u2019s guidance thanks to a few key changes: It moved from Denver to Newport Beach to be closer to Irvine, where Niccols was wrapping up his tenure as CEO of Taco Bell, a subsidiary of Yum! Brands<\/a> and home to a talent pool of fast-food workers<\/a>. He grew Chipotle\u2019s loyalty program and app, which helped the company keep customers coming back to its locations through the pandemic. Chipotle put increased emphasis on touting fresh ingredients and leaned into the open-kitchen layout of its restaurants, asking employees to think more like chefs and providing more information on each ingredient. Niccol said this attitude shift elevated a fast-food concept into more of a sit-down restaurant feel.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is something to the sights and sounds of Chipotle, hearing the grill and seeing guys chopping chicken and seeing people banging pans,\u201d Niccol told Fortune<\/em> in 2023<\/a>. \u201cYou want those sounds, and you want those smells.<\/p>\n Today the company is grappling with decisions to raise prices<\/a> to offset increases in wages, as well as consumer backlash over the ability to only order some menu items online\u2014including Niccol\u2019s favorite barbacoa quesadilla\u2014and portion sizes, which some say have dwindled<\/a>. The accusations over skimpy burrito bowls have even led some customers to film employees preparing their meals, claiming workers heap on proteins and toppings in front of a phone camera. Niccol insists Chipotle\u2019s portions are just as generous as they\u2019ve always been.<\/p>\n \u201cWe always want to give people big portions that get them excited about the food,\u201d he said. \u201cIf you want to double the amount of meat, you gotta pay for it, but our goal is to get people really excited about what I believe is really delicious food.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\nHeaping on success<\/strong><\/h2>\n