This fast-casual Mexican chain is cashing in on Chipotle’s struggles — and it already triumphed in one key battle (CMG)

Hollis Johnson/Business Insider

• Moe’s Southwest Grill is cashing in on Chipotle’s struggles. 
• Chipotle’s wobbly queso launch “couldn’t have been better for us,” the fast-casual Mexican chain’s president told Business Insider. 
• Moe’s is further trying to distinguish itself from the competition by beefing up its taco offerings and its to-go business. 

As Chipotle struggles to recover following an E. coli scandal more than two years ago, one fast-casual competitor has been quick to cash in on the burrito chain’s struggles. 

Moe’s Southwest Grill has topped Harris Poll’s annual EquiTrend Study of fast-casual Mexican ratings for the last two years, following Chipotle’s fall from grace. The chain has been in expansion mode, hitting 700 locations in late 2017 after three years of growth of roughly 10%. In 2017, Moe’s earned nearly $ 716 million in systemwide sales, up from roughly $ 688 million in 2016. 

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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