DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul. 21, 2014-- Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE: CMG) today reported financial results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2014.

Highlights for the second quarter of 2014 as compared to the second quarter of 2013 include:

• Revenue increased 28.6% to $1.05 billion
• Comparable restaurant sales increased 17.3%
• Restaurant level operating margin was 27.3%, a decrease of 30 basis points
• Net income was $110.3 million, an increase of 25.5%
• Diluted earnings per share was $3.50, an increase of 24.1%
• Opened 45 new restaurants

Highlights for the six months ended June 30, 2014 as compared to the prior year include:

• Revenue increased 26.6% to $1.95 billion
• Comparable restaurant sales increased 15.5%
• Restaurant level operating margin was 26.7%, a decrease of 30 basis points
• Net income was $193.3 million, an increase of 17.6%
• Diluted earnings per share was $6.14, an increase of 16.5%
• Opened 89 new restaurants

“We’re pleased that we continued to drive excellent results in the second quarter, including one of our strongest sales comps as a public company. These extraordinary results are made possible by our special food culture, innovative people culture, and strong business model that are not only creating significant shareholder value, but also helping us realize our vision to change the way people think about and eat fast food,” said Steve Ells, Founder, Chairman and co-CEO of Chipotle.

Monty Moran, co-CEO, continued, “Empowered teams of top performers can accomplish amazing things. Our Restaurateurs form the foundation of Chipotle’s culture, setting a standard for everyone else to follow. We are deeply committed to these leaders and the unique people culture they are building in their restaurants, which not only helps provide our guests with an exceptional dining experience, but also enables us to deliver great results to our shareholders.”

Second quarter 2014 results

Revenue for the quarter was $1.05 billion, up 28.6% from the second quarter of 2013. The growth in revenue was driven by a 17.3% increase in comparable restaurant sales and from new restaurants not in the comparable base. Comparable restaurant sales growth was driven primarily by increased traffic and to a lesser extent from an increase in average check, which includes the benefit of the nationwide menu price increases that were fully rolled out by the end of the quarter.

We opened 45 new restaurants during the quarter, bringing the total restaurant count to 1,681.

Food costs were 34.6% of revenue, an increase of 150 basis points, driven by increased prices for beef, avocados, and dairy, partially offset by the menu price increase and lower tomatillo prices.

Restaurant level operating margin was 27.3% in the quarter, a decrease of 30 basis points from the second quarter of 2013. The decrease was primarily driven by higher food and marketing costs, partially offset by favorable sales leverage in labor and occupancy costs.

G & A costs were 7.1% of revenue, an increase of 90 basis points due to higher stock compensation and bonus expenses, partially offset by favorable sales leverage.

Net income for the second quarter of 2014 was $110.3 million, or $3.50 per diluted share, compared to $87.9 million, or $2.82 per diluted share, in the second quarter of 2013.

Results for the six months ended June 30, 2014

Revenue for the first six months of 2014 was $1.95 billion, up 26.6% from the prior year period. The growth in revenue was the result of a 15.5% increase in comparable restaurant sales and from new restaurants not in the comparable base. Comparable restaurant sales growth was primarily driven by increased traffic and to a lesser extent from an increase in our average check.

During the first six months of the year, we opened 89 new restaurants, bringing the total restaurant count to 1,681.

Restaurant level operating margin was 26.7% for the first six months, a decrease of 30 basis points from the prior year period. The decrease was primarily from higher food costs, primarily beef, avocados, and dairy, and higher marketing costs partially offset by favorable sales leverage in labor and occupancy costs.

G & A costs for the first six months were 7.3% of revenue, or an increase of 110 basis points from the prior year period. The increase was from higher stock based compensation expense and higher bonus costs.

Net income for the first six months of 2014 was $193.3 million, or $6.14 per diluted share, compared to $164.4 million, or $5.27 per diluted share, in the first six months of 2013.

Net cash generated from operating activities was $360.4 million, an increase of 34.6% from last year.

Outlook

For 2014, management expects the following:

• 180 – 195 new restaurant openings
• Mid-teens comparable restaurant sales increases
• An effective full year tax rate of approximately 39.1%

Definitions

The following definitions apply to these terms as used throughout this release:

Comparable restaurant sales represent the change in period-over-period sales for the comparable restaurant base. A restaurant becomes comparable in its 13^th full calendar month of operation.

Average restaurant sales refers to the average trailing 12-month sales for restaurants in operation for at least 12 full calendar months.

Restaurant level operating margin represents total revenue less restaurant operating costs, expressed as a percent of total revenue.

Conference Call

Chipotle will host a conference call to discuss the second quarter 2014 financial results on Monday, July 21, 2014 at 4:30 PM Eastern time.

The conference call can be accessed live over the phone by dialing 1-877-857-6161 or for international callers by dialing 1-719-325-4758. A replay will be available one hour after the call and can be accessed by dialing 1-877-870-5176 or 1-858-384-5517 for international callers; the password is 3291530. The replay will be available until July 28, 2014. The call will be webcast live from the company's website at chipotle.com under the investor relations section. An archived webcast will be available one hour after the end of the call.

About Chipotle

Steve Ells, founder, chairman and co-CEO, started Chipotle with the idea that food served fast did not have to be a typical fast food experience. Today, Chipotle continues to offer a focused menu of burritos, tacos, burrito bowls (a burrito without the tortilla) and salads made from fresh, high-quality raw ingredients, prepared using classic cooking methods and served in a distinctive atmosphere. Through our vision of Food With Integrity, Chipotle is seeking better food from using ingredients that are not only fresh, but that—where possible—are sustainably grown and raised responsibly with respect for the animals, the land, and the farmers who produce the food. In order to achieve this vision, we focus on building a special people culture that is centered on creating teams of top performers empowered to achieve high standards. This people culture not only leads to a better dining experience for our customers, it also allows us to develop future leaders from within. Chipotle opened with a single restaurant in 1993 and operates more than 1,600 restaurants, including 17 Chipotle restaurants outside the US, and seven ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen restaurants, and is an investor in an entity that owns and operates one Pizzeria Locale. For more information, visit Chipotle.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release, including statements under the heading “Outlook” of our expected number of new restaurant openings, comparable restaurant sales increases, and effective tax rates in 2014, are forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We use words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “could”, “should”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intend”, “may”, “predict”, “project”, “target”, and similar terms and phrases, including references to assumptions, to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to us as of the date any such statements are made and we assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following: the uncertainty of our ability to achieve expected levels of comparable restaurant sales increases due to factors such as decreased consumer spending and economic uncertainty, our possible inability to increase menu prices or realize the benefits of menu price increases, or the impact of competition; factors that could affect our ability to achieve and manage our planned expansion, such as the availability of a sufficient number of suitable new restaurant sites and the availability of qualified employees; the performance of new restaurants and their impact on existing restaurant sales; increases in the cost of food ingredients and other key supplies; the potential for increased labor costs or difficulty retaining qualified employees, including as a result of immigration enforcement activities; the risk of food-borne illnesses and other health concerns about our food; risks relating to our expansion into new markets; the impact of federal, state or local government regulations relating to our employees, our restaurant design, or the sale of food or alcoholic beverages; risks associated with our Food With Integrity strategy, including supply shortages and potential liabilities related to advertising claims and other marketing activities related to Food With Integrity; security risks associated with the acceptance of electronic payment cards or electronic storage of confidential customer or employee information; the effect of competition in the restaurant industry; risks relating to litigation; risks relating to our insurance coverage and self-insurance; our dependence on key personnel; risks related to our marketing and advertising strategies; the effects of continuing economic uncertainty on our business and on our suppliers, landlords and potential developers; the uncertainty of our ability to protect our name, logo and other proprietary information or the reputation of our brand; the potential effects of inclement weather; and other risk factors described from time to time in our SEC reports, including our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, all of which are available in the Investors section of our Web site at chipotle.com

Source: Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.
Investor Relations:
Alex Spong, 303-222-2552