Chipotle

Generating Excitement for New Restaurant Openings in a Competitive Media Market

Linhart implemented a multi-layered outreach strategy in a saturated market to secure news coverage for nine sequential restaurant openings, exceeding the original coverage goal by more than twofold.

Challenge

Opening several new restaurants in one market back-to-back can lead to media fatigue and disinterest in later openings. In a competitive media market like Dallas-Fort Worth, also a saturated restaurant market, garnering sustained media attention becomes even more difficult.

Strategy

Linhart developed a phased approach to secure ongoing coverage of the new Chipotle locations and rapid Dallas-Fort Worth expansion by catering to the specific needs of various outlets.

Execution

To generate excitement for all the new locations and maintain a steady cadence of positive news coverage about Chipotle’s growth in and commitment to the Dallas-Fort Worth community, Linhart:

>>Focused on the first Dallas Chipotlane – Chipotle’s version of a drive-through pick-up lane – to excite top-tier local media early on, since “firsts” drive news. Initial outreach also teased the following eight openings to plant the seeds for business-oriented growth story coverage down the line.

>>As restaurants opened, the team pitched community papers and official city pages to highlight individual openings in smaller towns.

>>Linhart also targeted Dallas-Fort Worth media with the larger restaurant growth story that included details of all nine restaurants; shared key growth points, such as Dallas-Fort Worth leading the country in the most Chipotle restaurant openings for the quarter; and emphasized the growing convenience of dining at Chipotle with the addition of Chipotlanes, a key brand message.

pieces of coverage highlighting the first Dallas Chipotlane

stories about the individual restaurants in hyperlocal media outlets

Dallas-Fort Worth Chipotle restaurant growth stories

Results

Linhart exceeded the coverage goal of 10 stories with 25 stories, earning 25 million impressions about the first Dallas Chipotlane, individual local restaurant openings, and the Dallas-Fort Worth brand growth story.

Specifically, Linhart secured:

9 pieces of coverage highlighting the first Dallas Chipotlane in outlets like Community Impact Northeast Fort Worth.
3 stories about the individual restaurants in hyperlocal media outlets, including the Cross Timbers Gazette for the Roanoke Chipotlane in Roanoke, Texas.
13 Dallas-Fort Worth Chipotle restaurant growth stories in the Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star Telegram and CultureMap Fort Worth.

More Case Studies

Driving Brand Engagement and Online Store Traffic through Reinvigorated Social Channels

Linhart revitalized the Laura’s Lean Facebook and Instagram channels to build awareness of Laura’s Lean as an industry leader in all-natural, vegetarian-fed and no-added-antibiotics lean protein options, strengthen engagement and drive traffic to the brand’s online store.

Communicating a Breakthrough in Sustainable Aquaculture

Our work for Verlasso salmon earned two PRSA Silver Anvil awards, generated 25M+ earned media impressions, helped open doors to new retail and restaurant accounts, forged relationships with chefs, and turned brand attacks into meaningful engagement opportunities.