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Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 3 February 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 lowered, 2 new, 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Q4 revenue rose on new units: Q4 total revenue rose 4.9% to $3.0 billion, driven by new restaurant openings and gift card breakage revenue of $27.0 million. Source
  • Comparable sales fell on fewer transactions: Q4 comparable restaurant sales decreased 2.5%. Transactions fell 3.2%, partly offset by a 0.7% rise in average check. Source
  • Record openings across 2025: The company opened 334 company-owned restaurants in 2025, 257 of them with a Chipotlane, plus 11 international partner-operated restaurants. Source
  • Food cost ratio improved in Q4: Food, beverage and packaging costs fell to 30.2% of revenue from 30.4%, on menu price increases, lower dairy costs and cost of sales efficiencies. Beef, chicken and tariffs partly offset. Source
  • Labor ratio rose on lower volumes: Labor rose to 25.5% of revenue from 25.2%, which the company attributed to lower sales volumes and wage inflation, partly offset by menu price increases. Source
  • Operating margin fell to 14.1%: Q4 operating margin was 14.1%, against 14.6% a year earlier. Restaurant level operating margin was 23.4%, against 24.8%. Source
  • Buybacks of $2.4 billion in 2025: The company repurchased $2.4 billion of stock in 2025 at an average price of $42.54 per share. Source

“Against a dynamic consumer backdrop, we opened a record number of restaurants globally and grew Q4 and full year revenue,”

Scott Boatwright, Chief Executive Officer, Chipotle

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Comparable restaurant sales Sourcefull year 2026about flatNew
New restaurant openings Source2026350 to 370, including 10 to 15 international partner-operated restaurantsKept
Chipotlane share of company-owned restaurants Source2026around 80%Lowered from over 80%
Underlying effective tax rate Sourcefull year 2026between 24% and 26% before discrete itemsNew

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Full-year 2026 comparable restaurant sales guidance was given as about flat. Source
  • New guidance: Full-year 2026 underlying effective tax rate guidance was given as 24% to 26% before discrete items. Source
  • Guidance lowered: The Chipotlane share wording moved from over 80% in the Q3 release to around 80% in this release. Source
  • New: The company launched its Recipe for Growth strategy, built on five areas aimed at growing transactions and improving accuracy, efficiency and speed. Source
  • New: Share repurchase authorization remaining rose to $1.7 billion, from $652.3 million at September 30, 2025 as stated in the Q3 release. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Q4 revenue rose on new units: Q4 total revenue rose 4.9% to $3.0 billion, driven by new restaurant openings and gift card breakage revenue of $27.0 million. Source
  • Comparable sales fell on fewer transactions: Q4 comparable restaurant sales decreased 2.5%. Transactions fell 3.2%, partly offset by a 0.7% rise in average check. Source
  • Full-year revenue up 5.4%: Full-year total revenue rose 5.4% to $11.9 billion, mainly from new openings. Comparable sales fell 1.7%, with transactions down 2.9% and average check up 1.2%. Source

Openings, footprint and digital

  • Record openings across 2025: The company opened 334 company-owned restaurants in 2025, 257 of them with a Chipotlane, plus 11 international partner-operated restaurants. Source
  • Fourth-quarter openings: In Q4 the company opened 132 company-owned restaurants, 97 with a Chipotlane, and seven international partner-operated restaurants. Source
  • Footprint reached 4,056 restaurants: Total Chipotle restaurants stood at 4,056 at December 31, 2025, including 14 international partner-operated restaurants. Source
  • Digital share of food sales: Digital sales were 37.2% of food and beverage revenue in Q4 and 36.7% for the full year. Source
  • Chipotlanes lift access and returns: Management said Chipotlanes continue to perform well, improve guest access and convenience, and raise new restaurant sales, margins and returns. Source

“This momentum will fuel our next phase of growth, driven by our 'Recipe for Growth' strategy which leans into what uniquely differentiates our brand to accelerate transactions and expand our footprint globally.”

Scott Boatwright, Chief Executive Officer, Chipotle

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Food cost ratio improved in Q4: Food, beverage and packaging costs fell to 30.2% of revenue from 30.4%, on menu price increases, lower dairy costs and cost of sales efficiencies. Beef, chicken and tariffs partly offset. Source
  • Labor ratio rose on lower volumes: Labor rose to 25.5% of revenue from 25.2%, which the company attributed to lower sales volumes and wage inflation, partly offset by menu price increases. Source
  • Operating margin fell to 14.1%: Q4 operating margin was 14.1%, against 14.6% a year earlier. Restaurant level operating margin was 23.4%, against 24.8%. Source
  • Full-year restaurant margin down: Full-year restaurant level operating margin was 25.4%, against 26.7%. Full-year labor was 25.1% of revenue, against 24.7%. Source
  • G&A fell on lower pay items: G&A was $160.3 million in Q4, against $191.2 million, due to lower stock-based compensation, performance bonuses and legal reserves. Source
  • Other operating costs rose as share: Other operating costs were 15.5% of Q4 revenue, against 14.5%, and occupancy was 5.4%, against 5.1%. The documents give no reason for these changes. Source

Demand and sales trend

  • Comparable sales by quarter: Comparable restaurant sales were (2.5%) in Q4 2025, 0.3% in Q3, (4.0%) in Q2 and (0.4%) in Q1, against 5.4% in Q4 2024. Source
  • Average restaurant sales lower: Trailing 12-month average restaurant sales were $3,104 thousand at the end of Q4 2025, against $3,213 thousand at December 31, 2024. Source
  • Gift card breakage added revenue: Gift card breakage revenue was $27.0 million in Q4, up $19.1 million, and the company said it does not affect comparable restaurant sales. Source

“We are deploying these initiatives and beginning to see results, including the early success of our high-protein menu and benefits from our high-efficiency equipment package,”

Scott Boatwright, Chief Executive Officer, Chipotle

Capital, cash and returns to shareholders

  • Buybacks of $2.4 billion in 2025: The company repurchased $2.4 billion of stock in 2025 at an average price of $42.54 per share. Source
  • Q4 buybacks at $34.14 average: In Q4 the company repurchased $741.6 million of stock at an average price of $34.14 per share. Source
  • Operating cash flow edged higher: Net cash provided by operating activities was $2,113.9 million for 2025, against $2,105.1 million for 2024. Source
  • Capital spending rose in 2025: Purchases of leasehold improvements, property and equipment were $666.3 million in 2025, against $593.6 million in 2024. Source
  • Cash balance fell: Cash and cash equivalents were $350.5 million at December 31, 2025, against $748.5 million a year earlier. Source

Strategy and investment

  • Protect the core restaurant base: First Recipe for Growth area: protect and strengthen the core through operational and culinary excellence to deliver exceptional value to guests. Source
  • Menu innovation and brand messaging: Second area: evolve brand messaging and accelerate menu innovation and new occasions that drive demand into restaurants. Source
  • Global expansion with partners: Fourth area: scale internationally through proven company-owned and partner-operated markets, and strategic new regions. Source

People and leadership

  • Talent focus in strategy: Fifth strategy area: cultivate talent that is energized and focused on speed and agility. Source
  • CEO transition retention grants: Retention grants to key executives were $2.6 million in Q4 2025, against $11.9 million in Q4 2024, and $34.8 million for the full year 2025. Source
  • Former CEO awards forfeited: The non-GAAP reconciliation shows a $27.9 million stock-based compensation reversal in 2024 for equity awards forfeited by the former CEO. Source

Coming up, as management said on 3 February 2026

  • Form 10-K due early February: The company said its Annual Report on Form 10-K would be filed with the SEC in early February 2026. Source
  • Business update on the February call: The February 3, 2026 call at 4:30 PM Eastern was to include a business update on Recipe for Growth and the first quarter of 2026. Source
  • Rewards Program relaunch planned: Management listed relaunching the Rewards Program within its technology and AI modernization plans; no date was given. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Comparable restaurant sales Source-2.5% Q4; -1.7% full year
Traffic (comparable transactions) Source-3.2% Q4; -2.9% full year
Average ticket (average check) Source+0.7% Q4; +1.2% full year
Inventory Source$49,508 thousand at December 31, 2025
Store openings Source132 company-owned in Q4; 334 in 2025
Store closings Source5 permanent closures in Q4
E-commerce (digital) share Source37.2% of food and beverage revenue in Q4; 36.7% full year

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Lower transactions drove the full-year comparable sales decline, with transactions down 2.9% and average check up 1.2%. Source
  • External: Beef and chicken inflation and tariffs enacted in 2025 partly offset the Q4 food cost benefit. Source
  • Operational: Wage inflation and lower sales volumes raised Q4 labor costs as a share of revenue. Source
  • Regulatory: Estimated settlements for distinct legal matters above typical costs are excluded from the company's non-GAAP results. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.