Robots boost Chipotle

Article Excerpt

CHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL, $56.93, is a buy. The company (New York symbol CMG; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (Shares outstanding: 1.4 billion; Market cap: $78.0 billion; No dividends paid) is now testing for the first time in its restaurants an avocado processing robot. The robot, which Chipotle calls Autocado, can hold 25 pounds of avocados at one time and cuts, cores and scoops the fruits (before they are hand smashed by an employee to make guacamole). The robot halves the time required to make a batch of guacamole—from about 50 minutes to about 25 minutes. Given that Chipotle stores in North America and Europe use millions of pounds of avocados, a robot dedicated specifically to processing the fruit could yield significant time savings. Meanwhile, the machine’s array of sensors could also help reduce food waste by improving the efficiency and precision of avocado processing. Chipotle Mexican Grill is a buy. buy…