Customers prepare meals on the opening day of the first Chipotle fast food restaurant in northeastern Mexico on July 16, 2026 in San Pedro Garza Garcia, Mexico.
Daniel Becerril | Reuters
Chipotle Mexican Grill on Wednesday raised its same-store sales growth forecast for this year after the company beat analysts’ quarterly profit and sales estimates.
The company now expects same-store sales to increase by a low-single-digit percentage in 2026, which is higher than its previous outlook for flat same-store sales for the full year.
After a volatile 2025, Chipotle has been successful in attracting customers back, even as rising gas prices and other costs strain dining out budgets.
“We are seeing encouraging progress as we focus on the right growth drivers: delivering meaningful menu innovation for our guests, deepening engagement through Chipotle Rewards, improving hospitality across all of our restaurants, and expanding opportunities to accommodate more group events,” CEO Scott Boatwright said in a statement.
The report comes amid heightened scrutiny of the food safety of chain restaurants that serve fresh lettuce due to an outbreak of Cyclospora in the United States. Chipotle “maintains a very robust food safety program,” company executives said on a call with analysts. The company said its lettuce is grown in California and has not been affected by the outbreak.
Still, Chipotle said the Cyclospora outbreak impacted sales in the second half of July by about 2 percentage points, and incorporated that into its guidance.
Here’s how the company reported compared to Wall Street expectations, based on a survey of analysts by LSEG.
Earnings per share: 33 cents adjusted, 32 cents expected; Revenue: $3.35 billion, $3.33 billion expected.
The company’s shares rose about 6% in extended trading.
Chipotle reported second-quarter net income of $403.5 million, or 32 cents per share, down from $436.1 million, or 32 cents per share, in the year-ago period. Excluding impairment and restructuring charges, the company earned 33 cents per share.
Sales increased 9.3% to $3.35 billion.
Same-store sales increased 2.2%, driven by a 1% increase in restaurant traffic. The total amount of checks increased by 1.2% compared to the same period last year.
Boatwright said on a conference call with analysts that the company’s performance was driven by its seasonal chipotle honey chicken and recently introduced cilantro-lime sauce, as well as the strong performance of its rewards program.
Boatwright also said Chipotle’s menu innovations have had a “huge impact” in attracting both younger consumers and lower-income customers.
“We believe Chipotle continues to offer one of the strongest value propositions in the industry,” Boatwright said on the conference call.
During the quarter, Chipotle opened 100 new stores and one international restaurant operated by a partner.
