The
Wall Street Journal took a look at new
Chipotle venture,
Pizzeria Locale, and its expansion plans in Denver -- and beyond.
Excerpt:
Pizza is getting a Chipotle makeover.
Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. has quietly joined a growing group of restaurants aiming to change how we eat pizza. The ascendant Mexican-food chain known for its mix of healthy-enough, fast-enough food, has the blueprint from its burritos: Make pizza fast, individually tailored and with higher-quality ingredients than low-end competitors. The restaurant's executives want to carve out a niche between eating pizza at home and heading to a high-end, sit-down Italian restaurant. Pizza is one of the most popular meals in the U.S. but it's eaten most often via delivery or the supermarket freezer aisle.
Chipotle helped finance the Denver opening earlier this year of Pizzeria Locale, a restaurant that aims to serve pizza just as Chipotle does burritos. Diners standing in line choose from toppings like fresh mozzarella and prosciutto while watching their food being made. Individual 11-inch pies cost around $6.50 and take a few minutes to make. Diners pay at the counter. A glass-enclosed, climate-controlled dough-making room is prominently placed in the restaurant for easy viewing.
Read the rest
here.
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