Can Chipotle Win for Long-Term Investors Without Starbucks?

A rumored Starbucks acquisition of Chipotle was quickly denied, leaving investors to evaluate Chipotle's turnaround independently. While the chain has shown two consecutive quarters of comparable sales growth under new CEO Scott Boatwright's 'Recipe for Growth' plan, restaurant-level operating margins fell significantly despite improved traffic. The author suggests waiting for Q3 results on October 28 to confirm whether the turnaround is sustainable before committing to the stock.