More Topics:
Q&A with Boloco Founder John Pepper - cbl
Posted September 26, 2011
We Recommend...
John Pepper
By Brian Wolak
BOSTON -- Boloco recently made the Inc. 5000 list of the nation's fastest growing companies. The Boston-based franchise, which serves burritos, bowls, salads, smoothies, and shakes, has posted an impressive 43 percent 3-year growth with $16 million in revenue last year.
Boloco CEO and founder John Pepper answered some questions from citybizlist recently.
Let's start with the obvious question. How can Boloco compete long-term with Chipotle?
Chipotle is a tremendously successful company that has done a terrific job at the things it sets out to do. They serve a ton of food in their burritos with very few options but that appeal to enough people to have opened nearly 1,200 restaurants and counting. Their "food with integrity" mantra is admirable, and because they are the largest chain in our segment we see their quality of food as the absolute minimum standard to be competitive.
Boloco is all about options that people want and need. Our burritos are inspired from the most delicious culinary traditions from around the world. We are clearly not just Mexican-inspired, though our Classic remains our most popular burrito. We have three sizes (the Original, the Small, and the Mini). Most fast-food chains can't or won't introduce smaller sizes because of the effect on profitability, but most "standard" sized burritos, including Chipotle's, are over 1,000 calories and up to 1,500. Our guests need options, and don't need to pay for too much food that they don't want in the first place. We also have far more nutritional options than our competitors. Whole wheat tortillas and brown rice have been part of our menu for over a decade. Lots of fresh vegetables, naturally-raised meats, organic tofu as well the best vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options available help us accommodate diets and allergies.
More importantly, our focus on taking care of our people and their futures gives us a culture of guest service that is always improving and often recognized as best in the business.
In closing, we often say "even a burrito aspires." At Boloco, our burritos aspire to make a real difference in our people's lives and their futures, to give our guests flavor and nutritional options that give them reasons to come back frequently for years at a time, to make small but meaningful steps in how fast-food restaurants impact our communities and the environment, and finally to support a business that is uniquely human in that it is generous, compassionate, doesn't take itself too seriously and always strives to be 100% honest.
What's the secret behind your 43% growth over the past three years?
We opened School Street in Downtown Crossing in 2009, relocated Berklee College of Music to a bigger location in 2010, and opened our busiest restaurant ever in 2011 on Copley Square.
Those new restaurants helped, but most importantly we've continued to innovate our food by introducing four new burrito flavors (the Yucatan Habanero, the Memphis BBQ, the Spicy BLT and the Korean BBQ) and the new and "disturbingly small" mini-size burritos and smoothies/shakes. We have also introduced naturally-raised chicken free of anti-biotics and added growth hormones as well as grass-fed naturally-raised steak. We look at each ingredient we serve with a critical eye on a rotating basis and seek to make improvements as necessary.
All of this contributed to same-store sales growth (includes restaurants open 12 months or longer) of 7% in 2010 and 9% in 2011, far surpassing the industry averages.
You currently have 18 stores across New England. What are your plans for expansion in 2012?
We have six restaurants opening between today and end of 2012, including two restaurants opening in Wellesley and Waltham, Massachusetts, Warwick, RI, Bethesda, MD and Washington, DC.
What's one thing that everyone needs to know about Boloco?
Our people come first. Our main objective, every single day, is to improve the lives and futures of our people through bold and inspired food and practices. We encourage people to use boloco, literally, to get closer to pursuing their dreams.
And, only 18% of what we sell is Mexican. We're a little different ;)
For more information about Boloco, check them out here: http://boloco.com/
To see Inc.'s list, go here: http://tinyurl.com/6ja7o23
To find out more about the company in this article and to see if you
have business connections, click below:
blog comments powered by