Chipotle 2023 Annual Report
Chipotle 2023 Annual Report
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
______________________
FORM 10-K
______________________
☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023
or
☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from to
Commission File Number: 1-32731
______________________
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART I
Item 1. Business 3
Item 1A. Risk Factors 9
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments 19
Item 1C. Cybersecurity 19
Item 2. Properties 20
Item 3. Legal Proceedings 21
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures 21
PART II
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities 22
Item 6. Reserved 24
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations 24
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosure About Market Risk 32
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 33
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB ID: 42) 33
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 35
Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 36
Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 37
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 38
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 39
Note 1 – Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies 39
Note 2 – Supplemental Balance Sheet Information 45
Note 3 – Revenue Recognition 46
Note 4 – Fair Value Measurements 47
Note 5 – Equity Investments 49
Note 6 – Income Taxes 49
Note 7 – Shareholders’ Equity 52
Note 8 – Stock-Based Compensation and Employee Benefit Plans 52
Note 9 – Leases 56
Note 10 – Earnings Per Share 57
Note 11 – Commitments and Contingencies 57
Note 12 – Debt 57
Note 13 – Related Party Transactions 58
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure 58
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures 58
Item 9B. Other Information 61
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections 61
PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 61
Item 11. Executive Compensation 62
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters 62
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence 62
Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services 62
PART IV
Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules 63
Item 16. Form 10-K Summary 65
Signatures 66
Table of Contents
PART I
This report includes “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including projected
cash from operations, expected capital expenditures for 2024 and all other statements that are not historical facts. We use words such as “may,” “will,”
“should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “think,” “estimate,” “seek,” “expect,” “predict,” “could,” “project,” “potential”,
“goal” and other similar terms and phrases, including references to assumptions, to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements
are based on currently available operating, financial and competitive information and are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Our actual future
results and trends may differ materially depending on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, the risks and uncertainties described in this report
under the heading “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” so you should not
place undue reliance on 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, including: increasing wage inflation and the competitive labor market, including as a result of
regulations such as California AB 1228, which impacts our ability to attract and retain qualified employees and has resulted in occasional staffing
shortages; increases in ingredient and other operating costs and the inability of our third-party suppliers and business partners to fulfill their
responsibilities and commitments due to inflation, global conflicts, climate change, our Food with Integrity philosophy, tariffs or trade restrictions and
supply shortages; increasing supply costs (including beef, tortillas, queso, salsa, beans and rice); risks of food safety incidents and food-borne illnesses;
risks associated with our reliance on certain information technology systems operated by us or by third parties and potential failures, outages or
interruptions; privacy and cybersecurity risks, including risk of breaches, unauthorized access, theft, modification, destruction or ransom of guest or
employee personal or confidential information stored on our network or the network of third-party providers; the impact of competition, including from
sources outside the restaurant industry; the competitive labor market and changes in the availability and cost of labor and the impact of any union
organizing efforts and our responses to such efforts; the financial impact of increasing our average hourly wage; the impact of federal, state or local
government regulations relating to our employees, employment practices, restaurant design and construction, and the sale of food or alcoholic beverages;
our ability to achieve our planned growth, such as the costs and availability of suitable new restaurant sites and the equipment needed to fully outfit new
restaurants, construction materials and contractors and the expected costs to accelerate our international expansion through franchise restaurants in the
Middle East; the uncertainty of our ability to achieve expected levels of comparable restaurant sales due to factors such as changes in guests' perceptions
of our brand, including as a result of actual or rumored food safety concerns or other negative publicity, decreased overall consumer spending, including
as a result of high inflation, mass layoffs, fears of possible recession and higher energy costs, or the inability to increase menu prices or realize the benefits
of menu price increases; risks associated with our digital business, including risks arising from our reliance on third party delivery services; and risks
relating to litigation, including possible governmental actions and potential class action litigation related to food safety incidents, cybersecurity incidents,
employment or privacy laws, advertising claims or other matters. We are including this Cautionary Note to make applicable and take advantage of the safe
harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 for forward-looking statements. We expressly disclaim any obligation to update or
revise any forward-looking statements after the date of this report as a result of new information, future events or other developments, except as required by
applicable laws and regulations.
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
General
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc., a Delaware corporation, together with its subsidiaries (“Chipotle,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) owns and operates Chipotle
Mexican Grill restaurants, which feature a relevant menu of burritos, burrito bowls (a burrito without the tortilla), quesadillas, tacos, and salads. We strive
to cultivate a better world by serving responsibly sourced, classically cooked, real food with wholesome ingredients and without artificial colors, flavors or
preservatives. We are passionate about providing a great guest experience and making our food more accessible to everyone while continuing to be a brand
with a demonstrated purpose. Our first Chipotle restaurant opened in Denver, Colorado in 1993. Over 30 years later, our devotion to seeking out high-
quality ingredients, raised with respect for animals, farmers, and the environment, remains at the core of our commitment to Food with Integrity.
As of December 31, 2023, we owned and operated 3,371 Chipotle restaurants throughout the United States (“U.S.”) and 66 international Chipotle
restaurants. We manage our operations based on eight regions and aggregate our operations to one reportable segment. Our revenue is derived from sales
by our restaurants.
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Business Strategy
We are a brand with a demonstrated purpose of Cultivating a Better World. Our mission is to win today while we grow our future by focusing on five
key fundamental strategies:
Sustaining world class people leadership by developing and retaining diverse talent at every level;
Running successful restaurants with a people accountable culture that provides great Food with Integrity while delivering exceptional in-
restaurant and digital experiences;
Making the brand visible, relevant, and loved to improve overall guest engagement;
Amplifying technology and innovation to drive growth and productivity at our restaurants, support centers and in our supply chain; and
Expanding access and convenience by accelerating new restaurant openings in North America and internationally.
Serving high-quality food while still charging reasonable prices is critical to ensuring guests enjoy wholesome food at a great value. In our Chipotle
restaurants, we strive to serve only meats that are raised in accordance with criteria we have established in an effort to improve sustainability and promote
animal welfare, and without the use of non-therapeutic antibiotics or added growth hormones. We brand these meats as “Responsibly Raised®.” We also
seek to use responsibly grown produce, by which we mean produce grown by suppliers whose practices conform to our Food with Integrity standards and
our priorities with respect to environmental considerations and employee welfare. For more information about our sustainability and animal welfare
initiatives, see our biennial Sustainability Report and interim Update Report on our website www.chipotle.com/sustainability.
Purchasing
Maintaining the high levels of quality and safety we demand in our restaurants depends in part on our ability to acquire high-quality, fresh ingredients
and other necessary supplies that meet our specifications from reliable suppliers. Our 26 independently owned and operated regional distribution centers
purchase from various suppliers we carefully select based on quality, price, availability, and the suppliers’ understanding of and adherence to our mission
and Food with Integrity standards. We have also sought to increase, where practical, the number of suppliers for our ingredients to help mitigate pricing
volatility and reduce our reliance on one or several suppliers, which could create supply shortages. In addition, we closely monitor industry news, trade
tariffs, weather, exchange rates, foreign demand, crises and other world events that may affect our ingredient prices or available supply. Certain key
ingredients (beef, tomatoes, tortillas and adobo) are purchased from a small number of suppliers.
We are committed to serving only safe, high-quality food. Our food safety and quality assurance teams work to ensure compliance with our food
safety programs and practices, components of which include:
These and other food safety practices underscore our commitment to be a leader in food safety while continuing to serve high-quality food that our
guests love. Our food safety and quality assurance teams establish and monitor our quality and food safety programs and work closely with suppliers to
ensure our high standards are met throughout the supply chain. We maintain a limited list of approved suppliers, many of whom are among the top
suppliers in the industry. In addition, we have a team approach where our training, operations, culinary, legal and restaurant food safety and quality
assurance departments develop and implement operating standards for food quality, food preparation, restaurant cleanliness, employee health protocols, and
safety in the restaurants. Our food safety programs are also intended to ensure that we not only continue to comply with applicable national, federal, state
and local food safety regulations, but also establish Chipotle as an industry leader in food safety. To help achieve this goal, we have a Food Safety Advisory
Council comprised of some of the nation’s foremost food safety authorities. The Food Safety Advisory Council is charged with evaluating our programs
and advising us on ways to elevate our already high standards for food safety. Our food safety and quality assurance team members hold board seats and
participate in technical working groups with several associations. This gives us the opportunity to learn and share our knowledge and expertise with other
food safety professionals and regulatory agencies.
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Digital Business
Our digital platform continues to be a strategic driver of our growth. In recent years, we have significantly upgraded our capabilities by digitizing our
restaurant kitchens, expanding our partnerships with third-party delivery services and building more Chipotlanes, which is our drive through format for
customer pick-up of digital orders. Digital sales represent food and beverage revenue generated through the Chipotle website, Chipotle app or third-party
delivery aggregators and include revenue deferrals associated with Chipotle Rewards. Digital sales represented 37.4% of food and beverage revenue in
2023, compared to 39.4% of food and beverage revenue in 2022. We have made digital ordering convenient with enhancements to the Chipotle app and
website, such as customization, contactless delivery, and group ordering and we have improved the overall guest experience within the app with the
inclusion of order readiness messaging, wrong location detection and reminders to scan for points.
Human Capital
At Chipotle, our vision is to cultivate an environment where our employees can thrive, pursue their passion and become lifelong leaders. We believe
in investing and supporting our people because they are our most important asset and give us a competitive advantage in our business. As of December 31,
2023, Chipotle employed 116,068 people worldwide and 1,088 contract workers. Of our employees, 114,042 worked in the United States, and 2,026
worked internationally across Canada, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Within the U.S., 112,572 employees worked in our restaurants, and
1,470 in our Restaurant Support Centers. There were no union petitions or campaigns in 2023. We continue to bargain with the one restaurant that voted in
2022 to form a union, and we believe that our relationship with our employees is good. We also believe our efforts to manage our workforce have been
effective, as evidenced by a strong culture and our employees’ demonstrated commitment to living our purpose and values.
Talent Acquisition
We continue to invest heavily in recruiting top talent and ensuring appropriate staffing levels are maintained, especially during our two peak hiring
seasons (spring and fall). We focus on new and innovative ways to attract and engage talent for our restaurants, which includes marketing campaigns that
build on our documentary-style television spots, featuring unscripted testimonials from team members about the impact Chipotle has had on their lives. We
invest in advertising on social media and highlight growth opportunities and the possible trajectory of achieving six-figure total compensation in
approximately three years.
Additionally, we now offer a formal Summer Internship Program to invest in students while creating opportunities for our restaurant employees to
further gain exposure to our Restaurant Support Centers.
Maintaining a diverse, equitable and inclusive work environment is critical to our success as a business. As of December 31, 2023, U.S.-based
employee diversity statistics were as follows:
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Our most recent EEO-1 consolidated report is posted on the Investors page of our website at www.ir.chipotle.com under Corporate Governance –
Human Capital Information and additional details about the demographics of our employee population is included in our biennial Sustainability Report and
interim Update Report on our website www.chipotle.com/sustainability.
Notably, our rate of internal promotions for 2023 was similar within our employee populations, with approximately 50% of promoted employees
identifying as female and 39% of promoted employees identifying as Hispanic or Latino.
We have undertaken several actions to promote diverse, equitable and inclusive work environments.
We created a consistent and structured candidate interview process with new interview guides. This ensures quality, speed and equitable hiring
practices are followed throughout internal and external candidate interviews. We also launched an internal job board across multiple
communication channels to our employees to provide increased visibility and access to internal opportunities.
Since December 2021, we have participated in Management Leadership for Tomorrow’s Black Equity at Work Certification Program, which
establishes a comprehensive aggregate measurement system and provides a rigorous, results-oriented approach that accelerates progress toward
Black equity internally, amongst our employees, and externally by supporting Black equity within our business partners and in the communities
where we operate.
In early 2023, we engaged an independent third-party consultant to conduct a Talent Management Equity Audit to identify places in our talent
management cycle where we may need to eliminate bias and/or create more equitable policies, practices, and procedures; identify potential
blockers and new opportunities to create and sustain equity in talent management; and identify key strengths and pockets of risk. The consultant
concluded that Chipotle has a robust set of processes, practices and policies to enable equitable talent recruiting, development and retention
throughout the company and identified opportunities to strengthen Chipotle’s existing practices. See the Investors page of our website at
www.ir.chipotle.com under Corporate Governance – Human Capital Information for additional details.
We have a holistic approach to pay equity to ensure consistent and equitable treatment among our employees. We retain an independent third-
party compensation consultant each year to conduct a pay equity analysis of our U.S. and Canadian workforce, including factors of pay (e.g.,
grade level, tenure in role, most recent promotion) and external market conditions (e.g., geographic location), to ensure consistency and equitable
treatment among our employees. In 2023, our review included 99% of our U.S. and Canadian employee population, excluding only
approximately 50 of our most senior management employees. The analysis identified small, isolated pay gaps for certain segments of the
population, and we subsequently made pay adjustments to close those gaps. Since there are not many common roles among our 50 most senior
executives, we consider both internal equity by level as well as individualized market data to help ensure we maintain pay equity among this
group.
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Talent Development
We provide high-quality growth and development opportunities to retain top talent and support internal promotions. In 2023, we had more than
24,000 internal promotions, including 100% of U.S. based Regional Vice Presidents, 87% of Team Directors, and 87% of Field Leaders. To develop our
employees, we provide the following programs:
Leadership Evolution and Development: Focuses on preparing a cross-functional cohort of mid-level managers for the future of work and
leadership. During the 9-month program, participants learn the critical capabilities of leading oneself, leading others, and leading the business
with topics designed to stretch capabilities and improve decision-making skills.
Cultivate University: A four-day immersive leadership experience designed to upskill our new multi-unit restaurant leaders to excel in their role
and execute on their Top 5 KPIs. Participants are introduced to a variety of leadership models as well as operational tools to support them in
leading effective teams and driving results in their restaurants.
General Manager Upskilling: Trains our restaurant leaders in fundamental soft skills to help bolster their leadership acumen so that they can
better lead their teams and create an exceptional guest experience.
Executive Development: Focuses on developing high potential Team Directors in areas such as leadership, marketing, business and finance, data
and analytics, ESG and hospitality, so they gain an in-depth understanding of various functions within the company.
Teach & Taste Live seminars: Offers lunch and learn sessions on leadership topics such as effective communication, emotional intelligence, and
building a culture of accountability to provide on-going professional development for employees at our Restaurant Support Centers. Each course
introduces a new leadership skill and offers best practices and actionable tools to continue developing the top talent that supports our field
operations.
Development courses and online programs that focus on creating a culture of belonging.
Online executive coaching for mid- and senior-level leaders throughout the organization.
Succession Planning: We utilize talent calibrations to identify a diverse pipeline of emerging leaders and define appropriate development
programs.
Total Rewards
The financial, physical, and mental wellness of our employees remains our top priority and we believe we have compelling compensation packages
and incentive programs, and a robust suite of benefit offerings that enable us to engage current team members and attract new team members:
We have made substantial investments in our compensation packages, including competitive wages and industry leading incentive programs,
such as our annual and quarterly bonus programs, which allow us to attract and retain the top talent in the industry.
We offer a Debt-Free Degree program that provides Chipotle employees access to nearly 100 degrees at 10 universities, completely tuition debt
free.
We support Career Certificates, which further enhances our Tuition Assistance benefits by providing on-demand certificate programs to help
Chipotle team members advance their careers in as little as eight weeks.
In 2023, we launched a program that provides our medically enrolled employees and their families with a Health Pro who can help them
navigate the complex healthcare environment, helping them understand how their health benefits cover their care, how to save money, as well as
get expert, high-quality medical care.
In 2023, we also offered personalized mental health assistance to all Chipotle employees and their family members with support available 24/7
via in-person, phone, or virtual visits with a licensed counselor.
Starting in 2024, we are partnering with SoFi to offer student loan payment matching programs via our 401(k)-retirement program. This, in
addition to a credit optimization service, will help bolster our employees’ financial well-being.
Giving employees the opportunity to provide anonymous feedback is a key part of our employee engagement strategy, which positively contributes to
our culture. This begins with soliciting feedback regarding onboarding. As of December 31, 2023, 9 in 10 respondents in our restaurants reported a
favorable onboarding experience. For our employees in field support organizations and Restaurant Support Centers, nearly 95% of respondents had a
favorable view of their onboarding. Results of our surveys are shared with business partners and senior leaders, who continuously work to improve the
experience for all employees.
To encourage a collaborative working culture between our Restaurant Support Centers and restaurant operations, we created an Operations Council
comprised of employees from restaurant and field leadership, operations, and our business partners, who work together to share feedback and implement
new projects collaboratively.
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Additionally, to promote an engaged culture, we respond to employees quickly via our Employee Service Center (“ESC”). The ESC is available
seven days a week to resolve employee questions about things like restaurant health and safety, compliance, benefits, payroll, etc. We also maintain a
confidential Respectful Workplace Hotline that allows employees to anonymously report concerns like sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation.
We are subject to various federal, state and local laws and regulations that govern aspects of our business operations. While costs associated with
compliance with laws and regulations have increased as the number and scope of regulation have increased, the total costs incurred have not had, and are
not expected to have, a material effect on our capital expenditures, results of operations or competitive position. See “Risk Factors” in Item 1A for
discussion of risks relating to federal, state, local and international laws and regulations applicable to our business.
Seasonality
Seasonal factors influencing our business are described under the heading “Quarterly Financial Data/Seasonality” in Item 7. “Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”
Competition
The fast-casual, quick-service, and casual dining segments of the restaurant industry are highly competitive with respect to, among other things, taste,
price, food quality and presentation, service, location, convenience, brand reputation, cleanliness, and ambience of each restaurant. Our competition
includes a variety of restaurants in each of these segments, including locally-owned restaurants, as well as national and regional chains. Competition from
food delivery services, which offer meals from a wide variety of restaurants, also has increased in recent years and is expected to continue to increase.
Many of our competitors also offer dine-in, carry-out, online, catering, and delivery services. Among our main competitors are restaurant formats that claim
to serve higher quality ingredients without artificial flavors, colors and preservatives, and that serve food quickly and at a reasonable price.
“Chipotle,” “Chipotle Mexican Grill,” “Food with Integrity,” “Responsibly Raised,” “Chipotle Rewards,” and a number of other marks and related
designs and logos are U.S. registered trademarks of Chipotle. We have filed trademark applications for a number of additional marks in the U.S. as well. In
addition to our U.S. registrations, we have registered trademarks for “Chipotle” and a number of other marks in Canada, the European Union, the Middle
East and various other countries, and have filed trademark applications for “Chipotle Mexican Grill,” “Chipotle” and a number of other marks in additional
countries. We also believe that the design of our restaurants is our proprietary trade dress and have registered elements of our restaurant design for trade
dress protection in the U.S. as well.
From time to time, we have taken action against other restaurants that we believe are misappropriating our trademarks, restaurant designs or
advertising. Although our policy is to protect and defend vigorously our rights to our intellectual property, we may not be able to adequately protect our
intellectual property, which could harm the value of our brand and adversely affect our business.
Available Information
We maintain a website at www.chipotle.com, including an investor relations section at ir.chipotle.com, on which we routinely post important
information, such as webcasts of quarterly earnings calls and other investor events in which we participate or host, and any related materials. Our Code of
Ethics and our Supplier Code of Conduct also are available in this section of our website. You may access our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly
reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports, as well as other reports relating to us that are filed with or furnished
to the SEC, free of charge in the investor relations section of our website as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with or
furnished to the SEC. The SEC also maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers
that file electronically with the SEC at www.sec.gov.
The contents of the websites mentioned above and elsewhere in this report are not incorporated into and should not be considered a part of this
report. The references to the URLs for these websites are intended to be inactive textual references only.
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You should carefully consider the risks described below in addition to the other information set forth in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including
the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Conditions and Results of Operations” section and the consolidated financial statements and
related notes. If any of the risks and uncertainties described below occur or continue to occur, our business, financial condition and results of operations,
and the trading price of our common stock could be materially and adversely affected. The risks and uncertainties described below are those that we have
identified as material but are not the only risks and uncertainties we face. Our business is also subject to general risks and uncertainties that affect many
other companies, including, but not limited to, overall economic and industry conditions. Additional risks not currently known to us or that we presently
deem immaterial may arise or become material and may negatively impact our business, reputation, financial condition, results of operations or the trading
price of our common stock.
Risks Related to the Nature of our Business and the Restaurant Industry
Food safety and food-borne illness concerns may have an adverse effect on our business by decreasing sales and increasing costs.
Food safety is our top priority, and we dedicate significant resources to ensuring that our guests enjoy safe, high-quality food products. However,
even with strong preventative controls and interventions, food safety risks cannot be completely eliminated in every restaurant. Incidents of food-borne
illnesses continue to occur in the restaurant industry and may result from the failure of restaurant employees or suppliers to follow our food safety policies
and procedures, or from employees or guests entering our restaurant while ill and contaminating ingredients or surfaces. Although we monitor and audit
compliance with our program, we cannot guarantee that each and every food item is safely and properly maintained from the start of the supply chain
through guest consumption. Any report, legitimate or rumored, of food-borne illness such as E. coli, hepatitis A, norovirus or salmonella, or other food
safety issues, such as food tampering or contamination, at one of our restaurants could adversely affect our reputation and have a negative impact on our
sales. In addition, instances of food-borne illness or food safety issues that occur solely at competitors’ restaurants could result in negative publicity about
the restaurant industry and adversely impact our sales. Social media has dramatically increased the speed with which negative publicity, including actual or
perceived food safety incidents, is disseminated before there is any meaningful opportunity to investigate, respond to and address an issue. The occurrence
of food-borne illnesses or food safety issues could also adversely affect the price and availability of affected ingredients, resulting in higher costs and lower
margins.
We may be at a higher risk for food safety incidents than some competitors due to our greater use of fresh, unprocessed produce, handling of raw
chicken in our restaurants, our reliance on employees cooking with traditional methods and the lack of added preservatives and frozen ingredients in our
menu items. The risk of illnesses associated with our food also may increase due to our delivery or catering businesses, in which our food is transported,
stored and/or served in conditions that are not under our control. All of these factors could have an adverse impact on our ability to attract and retain guests,
which could in turn have a material adverse effect on our growth and profitability.
Our digital business, which accounted for a significant portion of our 2023 total revenue, is subject to risks.
In 2023, 37.4% of our food and beverage revenue was derived from digital orders, which includes third-party delivery and customer pickup in-
restaurant and through our Chipotlanes. Approximately 18% of our 2023 food and beverage revenue consisted of delivery orders for which we are reliant
on third-party delivery companies. Depending on which ordering platform a guest uses – our platform or the platform of a third-party delivery service – the
delivery fee we collect from the guest may be less than the actual delivery cost, which has a negative impact on our profitability. In addition, several
jurisdictions (e.g., California, New York City and Seattle) have implemented minimum wages for delivery drivers, and other jurisdictions are considering
similar wage regulations, which could increase delivery fees and decrease our digital sales. In 2023, we implemented menu price increases to partially
offset the increases in ingredients, labor and other costs; however, our higher menu prices may cause some guests to shift their purchases to other
restaurants offered on the platform. If the third-party delivery companies we utilize increase their fees or give greater priority or promotions on their
platforms to other restaurants, our delivery business and our sales may be negatively impacted. These delivery companies maintain control over data
regarding our guests who use their platform and over the guest experience. We use our mobile app to drive convenience and increase brand engagement
with our guests. If a third-party delivery driver fails to make timely deliveries or fails to deliver the complete order, our guests may attribute the bad
customer experience to Chipotle and our reputation and sales could be negatively impacted. The ordering and payment platforms used by these third
parties, our mobile app or our online ordering site have been and could again be interrupted by technological failures, user errors, cyber-attacks or other
factors, which could adversely impact sales through these channels and negatively impact our overall sales and reputation. In addition, the delivery business
has been consolidating and may continue to consolidate, which may give third-party delivery companies more leverage in negotiating the terms and pricing
of contracts, which in turn could negatively impact our profits from this channel.
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The restaurant industry is highly competitive. If we are not able to compete successfully, our business, financial condition and results of
operations would be adversely affected.
The restaurant industry is highly competitive with respect to taste preferences, price, food quality and selection, customer service, brand reputation,
digital engagement, advertising and promotional initiatives, and the location, attractiveness and maintenance of restaurants. We also compete with non-
traditional market participants, such as “convenience meals” in the form of entrées, side dishes or meal preparation kits from the deli or prepared foods
sections of grocery stores, meal kit delivery services, and “ghost” or “dark” kitchens, where meals are prepared at separate takeaway premises rather than a
restaurant. Increased competition could have an adverse effect on our sales, profitability and development plans. If guest or dietary preferences change, if
our marketing efforts are unsuccessful, or if our restaurants are unable to compete successfully with other restaurant outlets, our business could be
adversely affected.
We continue to believe that our commitment to higher-quality and responsibly sourced ingredients resonates with guests and gives us a competitive
advantage; however, many of our competitors also make claims related to the quality of their ingredients and lack of artificial flavors, colors and
preservatives. The increasing use of these claims by competitors, regardless of the accuracy of such claims, may lessen our differentiation and make it more
difficult for us to compete. If we are unable to continue to maintain our distinctiveness and compete effectively, our business, financial condition and
results of operations could be adversely affected.
If we do not continue to persuade guests of the benefits of paying higher prices for our higher-quality food, our sales and results of operations
could be hurt.
Our success depends in large part on our ability to persuade guests that food made with ingredients that were raised or grown according to our Food
with Integrity principles are worth paying a higher price relative to prices of some of our competitors, particularly quick-service restaurants. Under our
Food with Integrity principles, for example, animals must be responsibly raised, and the milk in our sour cream, cheese and queso must come from cows
that have not been treated with rBGH, practices which typically are more costly than conventional farming. If we are not able to successfully persuade
guests that consuming food made in accordance with our Food with Integrity principles is better for them and the environment, or if guests do not agree
with the overall value proposition of our menu, our sales could be adversely affected, which would negatively impact our results of operations.
Our inability or failure to recognize, respond to and effectively manage the immediacy of social media could have a material adverse impact on
our business.
Social media and internet-based communications, including video-sharing, social networking, and gaming and messaging platforms, give users
immediate access to a broad audience. These platforms have dramatically increased the speed and scale of dissemination and accessibility of information,
including negative comments about our food quality or safety, negative guest or employee experiences and videos depicting inappropriate behavior of
employees and guests. Accurate, inaccurate or misleading information can be widely disseminated before there is any meaningful opportunity to respond or
address an issue. It is impossible for us to fully predict or control social media backlash, and the inappropriate use of social media by our guests or
employees could harm our business, prospects, financial condition, and results of operations, regardless of the information’s accuracy.
Use of social media is an important element of our marketing efforts. Social media and internet-based communication platforms are evolving rapidly,
and we need to continuously innovate and evolve our marketing strategies to maintain our brand relevance and broad appeal to guests. We also continue to
invest in other digital marketing initiatives to reach our guests and build their awareness of, engagement with, and loyalty to us, including our “Chipotle
Rewards” loyalty program. These initiatives may not be successful, resulting in expenses incurred without the benefit of higher revenues, increased
customer engagement or brand recognition. Other risks associated with our use of social media and internet-based communication platforms include
association with influencers or online celebrities who become embroiled in controversy, platforms and business partners who experience challenges,
improper disclosure of proprietary information, negative comments about us, exposure of personally identifiable information, fraud, hoaxes or malicious
dissemination of false information. Use of social media by our employees, guests and associates could lead to litigation or result in negative publicity that
could damage our reputation.
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If we are not able to hire, develop and retain qualified restaurant employees and/or appropriately plan our workforce, our growth plan and
profitability could be adversely affected.
Our aggressive pace of opening new restaurants can make it increasingly difficult to recruit and hire sufficient numbers of qualified employees to
manage and work in our restaurants, to maintain an effective system of internal controls for a dispersed workforce and to train employees to deliver a
consistently high-quality product and customer experience, which could materially harm our business and results of operations. Maintaining appropriate
staffing in our restaurants requires precise workforce planning, which has become more complex due to predictive scheduling laws (also called “fair
workweek” or “secure scheduling”) and “just cause” termination legislation in certain geographic areas where we operate. The market for qualified talent
continues to be competitive and we must continue to offer competitive wages, benefits and workplace conditions to retain qualified employees. We have
experienced and may continue to experience challenges in hiring and retaining restaurant employees and in maintaining full restaurant staffing in various
locations, which has resulted in longer wait times for guest orders, temporary closures of the digital make line and decreased employee and guest
satisfaction. In one instance, we permanently closed a restaurant due to lack of necessary staff after a prolonged recruiting effort. A shortage of qualified
candidates who meet legal work authorization requirements, failure to hire, train and retain new restaurant employees in a timely manner or higher than
expected turnover levels could affect our ability to open new restaurants, grow sales at existing restaurants or meet our labor cost objectives. In addition,
failure to adequately monitor and proactively respond to employee dissatisfaction could lead to poor guest satisfaction, higher turnover, litigation and
unionization efforts, which could negatively impact our ability to meet our growth targets. We have experienced labor union efforts to organize groups of
our employees from time to time and, if successful, those organizational efforts may decrease our operational flexibility and disrupt our normal operations,
which could adversely affect our business.
If we fail to comply with applicable federal, state and local employment and labor laws and regulations, it could have a material, adverse impact
on our business.
Various federal, state and local employment and labor laws and regulations govern our relationships with our employees, and similar laws and
regulations apply to our operations outside of the U.S. These laws and regulations relate to matters such as employment discrimination, wage and hour
laws, requirements to provide and document meal and rest periods or other benefits, family leave mandates, requirements regarding working conditions and
accommodations to certain employees, citizenship or work authorization and related requirements, insurance and workers’ compensation rules, healthcare
laws and anti-discrimination and anti-harassment laws. We incur substantial costs to comply with these laws and regulations and non-compliance could
expose us to significant liabilities. For example, we have had lawsuits filed against us alleging violations of federal and state laws regarding employee
wages and payment of overtime, meal and rest breaks, employee classification, employee record-keeping and related practices with respect to our
employees. We incur legal costs to defend these types cases, and we could incur losses from these and similar cases, and the amount of such losses or costs
could be material.
In addition, several jurisdictions (e.g. New York City, Philadelphia, Chicago, Seattle, etc.) have implemented fair workweek or “secure scheduling”
legislation, which impose complex requirements related to scheduling for certain restaurant and retail employees, and additional jurisdictions are
considering similar legislation. Several jurisdictions also have implemented sick pay and paid time off legislation, which requires employers to provide
paid time off to employees, and “just cause” termination legislation, which restricts companies’ ability to terminate employees or reduce employees’ hours
unless they can prove “just cause” or a “bona fide economic reason” for the termination or reduction in hours. All of these regulations impose additional
obligations on us and our failure to comply with any of these regulations could subject us to penalties and other legal liabilities, which could adversely
affect our ability to attract and retain employees and our results of operations, and potentially cause us to close or reduce operating hours of some
restaurants in these jurisdictions. For example, we previously reported the settlement of a complaint alleging that we violated New York City’s Fair
Workweek law and Earned Safe and Sick Time Act, and we also have been and are undergoing several audits of our compliance with employment law
requirements, which could result in additional liabilities. Our liability exposure for these employment laws and regulations may be higher than our
restaurant peers because we are one of the largest restaurant companies that owns and operates all our restaurants, while most of our restaurant peers
franchise some or a significant portion of their operations.
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Increases in the cost of labor, including mandated minimum wage increases, could adversely impact our business and profitability.
Our profitability has been and could continue to be adversely impacted by increases in labor costs, including wages and benefits, which are some of
our most significant costs, including increases triggered by federal, state and local laws governing matters such as minimum wages, meal and rest breaks
and changes to eligibility for overtime pay; regulations regarding scheduling and benefits; increased health care and workers’ compensation insurance
costs; and higher wages and benefit costs necessary to attract, hire and retain high-quality employees with the right skill sets in a highly competitive job
market. In addition, state and local laws may require wage increases and standards on working hours and other factors that would restrict our flexibility to
respond to market conditions and increase our costs without corresponding benefits. Beginning in April 2024, new California legislation requires national
restaurant chains, including Chipotle, to pay a minimum $20 per hour wage to restaurant workers in California, which minimum wage may be increased
annually by a state-appointed council. Other state, county and city jurisdictions are considering similar regulations. Our ability to offset higher labor costs
by increasing menu prices depends on the willingness of our guests to pay the higher prices and the perceived value of our meals relative to competitors. If
competitive or inflationary pressures or other factors prevent us from offsetting higher labor costs by increased menu prices, our profitability may decline.
A failure to recruit, develop and retain effective leaders or the loss or shortage of personnel with key capacities and skills could impact our
strategic growth plans and jeopardize our ability to meet our business performance expectations and growth targets.
Our ability to continue to grow our business depends substantially on the contributions and abilities of our executive leadership team and other key
management personnel. Changes in senior management could expose us to significant changes in strategic direction and initiatives. A failure to maintain
appropriate organizational capacity and capability to support our strategic initiatives or to build adequate bench strength with key skillsets required for
seamless succession of leadership, could jeopardize our ability to meet our business performance expectations and growth targets. If we are unable to
attract, develop, retain and incentivize sufficiently experienced and capable management personnel, our business and financial results may suffer.
Breaches or other unauthorized access, theft, modification or destruction of guest and/or employee personal, confidential or other material
information that is stored in our systems or by third parties on our behalf could adversely affect our business.
As our reliance on technology has grown, the scope and severity of risks posed to our systems from cyber threats has increased. Many of our
information technology systems (whether cloud-based or hosted in proprietary servers), including those used for our point-of-sale, web and mobile
platforms, online and mobile payment systems, delivery services and rewards programs and administrative functions, contain personal, financial or other
information that is entrusted to us by our guests, business partners and employees. Many of our information technology systems also contain confidential
information about our business, such as business strategies, development initiatives and designs, and confidential information about third parties, such as
suppliers. Similar to many other restaurant companies, we have in the past experienced, and we expect to continue to experience, cyber-attacks, including
phishing, and other attempts to breach, or gain unauthorized access to, our systems and databases. To date, these attacks have not had a material impact on
our operations, but we cannot provide assurance that they will not have an impact in the future.
Our third-party providers’ and business partners’ information technology systems and databases are likewise subject to such risks. The number and
frequency of these attempts varies from year to year but could be exacerbated to some extent by an increase in our digital operations. In addition, we
provide some guest and employee data, as well as confidential information important to our business, to third parties to conduct our business. Individuals
performing work for us and these third parties also may access some of this data, including on personally owned digital devices. To the extent we, a third
party or such an individual were to experience a breach of our or their information technology systems that results in the unauthorized access, theft, use,
destruction or other compromises of customers’ or employees’ data or confidential information of Chipotle stored in or transmitted through such systems,
including through cyber-attacks or other external or internal methods, it could result in a material loss of revenues from the potential adverse impact to our
reputation and brand, a decrease in our ability to retain customers or attract new ones, the imposition of potentially significant costs (including loss of data
or payment for recovery of data) and liabilities, loss of business, loss of business partners and licensees and the disruption to our supply chain, business and
plans. Unauthorized access, theft, use, destruction or other compromises are becoming increasingly sophisticated and may occur through a variety of
methods, including attacks using malicious code, vulnerabilities in software, hardware or other infrastructure (including systems used by our supply chain),
system misconfigurations, phishing or social engineering. The rapid evolution and increased adoption of artificial intelligence technologies may intensify
our cybersecurity risks. Our logging capabilities, or the logging capabilities of third parties, are not always complete or sufficiently granular, affecting our
ability to fully understand the scope of security breaches.
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Such security breaches also could result in a violation of applicable U.S. and international privacy, cyber and other laws or trigger data breach
notification laws, including new disclosure rules promulgated by the SEC, and subject us to private third party or securities litigation and governmental
investigations and proceedings, any of which could result in our exposure to material civil or criminal liability.
We may be required to make significant capital investments and other expenditures to investigate security incidents, remedy cybersecurity problems,
recuperate lost data, prevent future compromises and adapt systems and practices to react to the changing threat environment. These include costs
associated with notifying affected individuals and other agencies, additional security technologies, training and personnel, retention of experts and
providing credit monitoring services for individuals whose data has been breached. These costs could be material and could adversely impact our results of
operations in the period in which they are incurred, including by causing us to delay the pursuit of other important business strategies and initiatives, and
may not meaningfully limit the success of future attempts to breach our information technology systems.
Media or other reports of existing or perceived security vulnerabilities in our systems or those of our third-party business partners or service
providers can also adversely impact our brand and reputation and materially impact our business. Additionally, the techniques and sophistication used to
conduct cyber-attacks and compromise information technology systems, as well as the sources and targets of these attacks, change frequently and are often
not recognized until such attacks are launched or have been in place for a period of time. The rapid evolution and increased adoption of artificial
intelligence technologies amplifies these concerns. We continue to make significant investments in technology, third-party services and personnel to
develop and implement systems and processes that are designed to anticipate cyber-attacks and to prevent or minimize breaches of our information
technology systems or data loss, but these security measures cannot provide assurance that we will be successful in preventing such breaches or data loss.
We may incur increased costs to comply with privacy and data protection laws and, if we fail to comply, we could be subject to government
enforcement actions, private litigation and adverse publicity.
Complex local, state, federal and international laws and regulations apply to the collection, use, retention, protection, disclosure, transfer and other
processing of personal data. These privacy and data protection laws and regulations are quickly evolving, with new or modified laws and regulations
proposed and implemented frequently and existing laws and regulations subject to new or different interpretations and enforcement. For example, the
European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) requires companies to meet certain requirements regarding the handling of personal data,
including its use, protection and transfer and the ability of persons whose data is stored to correct or delete such data about themselves, and failure to meet
the GDPR requirements could result in penalties of up to 4% of annual worldwide revenue. Additionally, the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018
(“CCPA”) provides a private right of action for data breaches and requires companies that process the personal information of California residents to make
new disclosures to consumers about their data collection, use and sharing practices, allow consumers to opt out of certain data sharing with third parties and
to request deletion of personal information (subject to certain exceptions). Other states passed similar privacy legislation that took effect in 2023, and other
states and countries passed or are considering expanding or passing comprehensive privacy laws. If we fail, or are perceived to have failed, to properly
respond to security breaches of our or a third party’s information technology systems or fail to properly respond to or honor consumer requests under any of
the foregoing privacy laws, we could experience reputational damage, adverse publicity, loss of consumer confidence, reduced sales and profits,
complications in executing our growth initiatives and regulatory and legal risk, including regulatory fines and penalties, and in some cases civil liabilities
where individuals have been provided with a private right of action.
Compliance with the current and future privacy and data protection laws can be costly and time-consuming and there is no assurance that our
compliance efforts will be successful in preventing breaches or data loss. Our failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations or other obligations to
which we may be subject relating to personal information, or to protect personal information from unauthorized access, use or other processing, could
result in enforcement actions and regulatory investigations against us, claims for damages by customers and other affected individuals, fines or damage to
our brand reputation, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our operations, financial performance and business.
The regulatory environment related to privacy and data security is changing at an ever-increasing pace, with new, increasingly rigorous, and often
unclear requirements applicable to our business. In addition, the issues regulated by privacy laws (such as advertising and marketing, children, biometric,
employee, surveillance, artificial intelligence, and health related information) have expanded, as have the number of city, state, federal and international
governmental bodies and agencies that have recently passed or are currently considering privacy legislation or regulatory rulemaking. Where not limited by
preemption and where there are perceived shortcomings in federal laws, many states have passed or are considering adopting stricter versions of federal
privacy laws (e.g., state level statutes similar to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act,
and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998). Private service providers also have implemented mandatory privacy requirements impacting
businesses, like Chipotle, that wish to utilize services available on their platforms.
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In addition, a number of recent lawsuits have pled creative claims under privacy legislation such as the Video Privacy Protection Act, Electronic
Communications Privacy Act (including the WireTap Act and Stored Communications Act), Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and similar state laws
alleging wiretapping, eavesdropping, tape recording and invasion of privacy through the use of marketing pixels, analytics software, session replay
technology, voice recording, and live chat functionality. Defending against such claims can be costly and strain internal resources.
Taken together, Chipotle faces rapidly increasing compliance costs in order to modify its operations and business practices to comply with applicable
laws, regulations and other requirements.
We rely heavily on information technology systems and failures or interruptions in our IT systems could harm our ability to effectively operate
our business and/or result in the loss of guests or employees.
We rely heavily on information technology systems, including the point-of-sale and payment processing system in our restaurants, technologies
supporting our digital and delivery business, technologies that trace ingredients back to suppliers and growers and manage our supply chain, our rewards
program, technologies that facilitate marketing initiatives, employee engagement and payroll processing, and various other processes and transactions. Our
ability to effectively manage our business and coordinate the procurement, production, distribution, safety and sale of our products depends significantly on
the availability, reliability and security of these systems. Many of these critical systems are provided and managed by third parties, and we are reliant on
these third-party providers to implement protective measures that ensure the security and availability of their systems. Although we have operational
safeguards in place, these safeguards may not be effective in preventing the failure of these third-party systems or platforms to operate effectively and be
available. Failures may be caused by various factors, including power outages, catastrophic events, physical theft, computer and network failures,
inadequate or ineffective redundancy, problems with transitioning to upgraded or replacement systems or platforms, flaws in third-party software or
services, errors or improper use by our employees or the third-party service providers. If any of our critical IT systems were to become unreliable,
unavailable, compromised or otherwise fail, and we were unable to recover in a timely manner, we could experience an interruption in our operations that
could have a material adverse impact on our profitability.
Increases in the costs of ingredients and other materials, including increases caused by inflation, global conflicts and climate risks, or the failure
to procure sufficient ingredients could adversely affect our results of operations.
Supply chain risk could increase our costs and result in a shortage of ingredients and supplies that are critical to our restaurant operations. The
markets for some of our ingredients, such as beef, avocado and other produce, are particularly volatile due to factors beyond our control such as limited
sources, seasonal shifts, climate conditions, inclement weather, natural disasters, recent inflationary trends, military and geopolitical conflicts and industry
demand, including as a result of animal disease outbreaks, international commodity markets, food safety concerns, product recalls and government
regulation. In addition, for certain of our ingredients and other materials, we have a limited number of suppliers and distributors. We remain in regular
contact with our key suppliers and to date we have not experienced significant prolonged disruptions in our supply chain; however, inflationary pressures
for certain supplies and ingredients could continue as inflation increases continue across the global supply chain. Our efforts to mitigate future price risk
through forward contracts, strong partnerships with key suppliers, directly managing key raw material procurement, diversifying our supply base and other
activities may not fully insulate us from increases in commodity costs, which could have an adverse impact on our profitability.
We also could be adversely impacted by price increases specific to meats raised in accordance with our Responsibly Raised animal welfare criteria,
and ingredients grown in accordance with our Food with Integrity specifications, the markets for which are generally smaller and more concentrated than
the markets for conventionally raised or grown ingredients. Any increase in the prices of the ingredients most critical to our menu, such as chicken, beef,
dairy (for cheese, sour cream and queso), avocados, tomatoes and pork, would have a particularly adverse effect on our operating results. If the cost of one
or more ingredients significantly increases, we may choose to temporarily suspend serving menu items that use those ingredients, such as guacamole or one
of our proteins, rather than pay the increased cost. Any such changes to our available menu may negatively impact our restaurant traffic and could
adversely impact our sales and brand.
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Shortages or interruptions in the supply of ingredients could adversely affect our operating results.
Our business is dependent on frequent and consistent deliveries of ingredients that comply with our Food with Integrity specifications, such as dairy
(for cheese, sour cream and queso). We may experience shortages, delays or interruptions in the supply of ingredients and other supplies to our restaurants
due to inclement weather, natural disasters, labor issues or other operational disruptions at our suppliers, distributors or transportation providers, or other
conditions beyond our control. Ongoing global conflicts have disrupted and could continue to disrupt some shipping routes, which could result in shortages
or delays of certain ingredients. In addition, we have a single or a limited number of suppliers for some of our ingredients, including certain oils, tomatoes,
tortillas and adobo. Although we believe we have potential alternative suppliers and sufficient reserves of ingredients, shortages or interruptions in our
supply of ingredients could adversely affect our financial results.
We could be party to litigation or other legal proceedings that could adversely affect our business, results of operations and reputation.
We have been and likely will continue to be subject to litigation and other legal proceedings that may adversely affect our business. These legal
proceedings may involve claims brought by employees, guests, government agencies, suppliers, shareholders or others through private actions,
administrative proceedings, regulatory actions or other litigation, including litigation on a class or collective basis on behalf of what can be a large group of
potential claimants. These legal proceedings have involved, and in the future may involve, allegations of illegal, unfair or inconsistent employment
practices, including those governing wage and hour, employment of minors, discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, and vacation and family
leave laws; food safety issues including food-borne illness, food contamination and adverse health effects from consumption of our food products; data
security or privacy breaches; guest discrimination; personal injury in our restaurants; marketing and advertising claims, including claims that our Food with
Integrity or other sustainability claims are misleading or inaccurate; infringement of patent, copyright or other intellectual property rights; violation of the
federal securities laws; workers’ compensation; or other concerns. We are party to a number of pending lawsuits and governmental audits alleging
violations of federal and state employment laws, including wage and hour claims, and we could be involved in similar or even more significant litigation
and legal proceedings in the future. Even if the allegations against us in current or future legal matters are unfounded or we ultimately are held not liable,
the costs to defend ourselves may be significant and the litigation may subject us to substantial settlements, fines, penalties or judgments against us and
may divert management's attention away from operating our business, all of which could negatively impact our financial condition and results of
operations. Litigation also may generate negative publicity, regardless of whether the allegations are valid, or we ultimately are not liable, which could
damage our reputation, and adversely impact our sales as well as our relationships with our employees and guests.
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We are subject to extensive laws, government regulation, and other legal requirements and our failure to comply with existing or new laws and
regulations could adversely affect our operational efficiencies, ability to attract and retain talent and results of operations.
Our business is subject to extensive federal, state, local and international laws and regulations, including those relating to:
preparation, sale and labeling of food, including regulations of the Food and Drug Administration, which oversees the safety of the entire food
system, including inspections and mandatory food recalls, menu labeling and nutritional content;
employment practices and working conditions, including minimum wage rates, wage and hour practices, meal and rest breaks, fair
workweek/secure scheduling and “just cause” legislation, employment of minors, discrimination, harassment, classification of employees, paid
and family leave, workplace safety, immigration and overtime among others;
privacy and data security (including regulations governing the protection of personal information, advertising and marketing, access by children,
biometrics, surveillance, artificial intelligence, health-related information and financial information), such as California Privacy Rights Act and
CCPA in California and privacy-related legislation in a growing number of other states, and international laws such as GDPR in the European
Union and Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act in Canada;
health, sanitation, safety and fire standards and the sale of alcoholic beverages;
building and zoning requirements, including state and local licensing and regulation governing the design and operation of facilities and land
use;
public accommodations and safety conditions, including the Americans with Disabilities Act and similar state laws that give civil rights
protections to individuals with disabilities in the context of employment, public accommodations, online resources and other areas;
environmental matters, such as emissions and air quality; water consumption; the discharge, storage, handling, release and disposal of hazardous
or toxic substances; local ordinances restricting the types of packaging we can use in our restaurants; and claims we make about our
sustainability practices and achievements; and
public company compliance, disclosure and governance matters, including accounting and tax regulations, SEC and NYSE disclosure
requirements.
Compliance with these laws and regulations, and future new laws or changes in these laws or regulations that impose additional requirements, can be
costly. Any failure or perceived failure to comply with these laws or regulations could result in, among other things, revocation of required licenses,
administrative enforcement actions, fines and civil and criminal liability.
If we are unable to meet our projections for new restaurant openings, or efficiently maintain the attractiveness of our existing restaurants, our
profitability could suffer.
Our growth depends on our ability to open new restaurants at an aggressive rate and operate them profitably as soon as possible. In the past year, the
cost of opening new restaurants has increased, due to construction labor inflation and increased costs of materials and equipment. Our timeline for
completing construction also has gotten longer, due to landlord reluctance to commit to building in light of high interest rates, tight money supply and
general economic conditions, and due to backlogs and long wait times for us to obtain required permits and utility hookups. In addition, we incur
substantial startup expenses each time we open a new restaurant, and it can take up to 36 months to ramp up the sales and profitability of a new restaurant,
during which time costs may be higher as we train new employees and build up a customer base. If we are unable to build the customer base that we expect
or fail to overcome the higher startup expenses associated with new restaurants, our new restaurants may not be as profitable as our existing restaurants.
Our ability to open and profitably operate new restaurants also is subject to various risks, such as the identification and availability of desirable locations;
the negotiation of acceptable lease terms; the need to obtain all required governmental permits (including zoning approvals and liquor licenses) and comply
with other regulatory requirements; the availability of capable contractors and subcontractors; increases in the cost and decreases in the availability of labor
and building material; changes in weather, natural disasters, pandemics or other acts of God that could delay construction and adversely affect guest traffic;
our ability to hire and train qualified management and restaurant employees; and general economic and business conditions. At each potential location, we
compete with other restaurants and retail businesses for desirable development sites, construction contractors, management personnel, hourly employees
and other resources. If we are unable to successfully manage these risks, we could face increased costs and lower than anticipated sales and earnings in
future periods.
In addition, we continue to improve our existing restaurants through remodels, upgrades and regular upkeep. If the costs associated with remodels,
upgrades or regular upkeep are higher than anticipated, restaurants are closed for remodeling for longer periods than planned or remodeled restaurants do
not perform as expected, we may not realize our projected desired return on investment, which could have a negative effect on our operating results.
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Our failure to effectively manage and support our growth could have a negative adverse effect on our business and financial results.
As of December 31, 2023, we owned and operated over 3,400 Chipotle restaurants and we plan to open a significant number of new restaurants in the
next several years. Our existing restaurant management systems, back-office technology systems and processes, financial and management controls,
information systems and personnel may not be adequate to support our continued growth. To effectively manage a larger number of restaurants, we may
need to upgrade and expand our infrastructure and information systems, automate more processes that currently are manual or require manual intervention
and hire, train and retrain restaurant employees and corporate support staff, all of which may result in increased costs and at least temporary inefficiencies.
We also place a lot of importance on our culture, which we believe has been an important contributor to our success, and as we continue to grow it may be
increasingly difficult to maintain our culture. Our failure to sufficiently invest in our infrastructure and information systems and maintain our strong
staffing and culture could harm our brand and operating results.
If we partner with or acquire new businesses and third-party providers that do not align with our core values or that do not fulfill their
contractual responsibilities and commitments, our brand reputation and international growth plans could suffer.
Our global growth strategy includes expanding our existing restaurant footprint and introducing Chipotle in new international jurisdictions in which
we currently do not operate. The success of our strategy will depend on our identifying and partnering with new business partners, including licensees, joint
venture partners, suppliers and distributors, and may include identifying suitable acquisition targets in these new jurisdictions that align with our core
values. In 2023, we signed our first-ever development agreement to open restaurants in the Middle East in partnership with international franchise retail
operator Alshaya Group, which will initially open new Chipotle restaurants in Dubai and Kuwait before expanding further across the region. Licensees like
Alshaya, and future joint venture partners would be authorized to operate restaurants under the Chipotle brand, and we believe guests will expect the same
quality of food and customer service in these third-party operated restaurants as they receive in Chipotle-operated restaurants. We provide extensive
training to our business partners and we include specific food quality and safety standards and guest service requirements in the contracts we sign with our
business partners; however, we do not have direct control over the restaurants operated by third-party partners, and the quality and service in those
restaurants may be less than the quality and service of Chipotle-operated restaurants. Failure of our business partners to adhere to our high food quality and
operating standards could damage our brand reputation and impair our international expansion plans. New partnerships and/or acquisitions also may divert
management’s attention from other initiatives and/or day-to-day operations, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations.
The market price of our common stock may be more volatile than the market price of our peers.
We believe the market price of our common stock generally has traded at a higher price-earnings ratio than stocks of most of our peer companies as
well as the overall market, which typically has reflected market expectations for higher future operating results. At any given point in time, our price-
earnings ratio may trade at more than twice the price-earnings ratio of the S&P 500. Also, the trading market for our common stock has been volatile at
times, including because of adverse publicity events. As a result, if we fail to meet market expectations for our operating results in the future, any resulting
decline in the price of our common stock could be significant.
We are subject to evolving disclosure obligations promulgated by governmental and regulatory organizations relating to sustainability factors that
impact our business. These disclosure obligations are complex and not always consistent, making compliance difficult and uncertain. In addition, investors,
guests and other stakeholders increasingly are focusing on sustainability matters and related disclosures. We have incurred and expect to continue to incur
increased expenses and management time and attention to comply with these disclosure obligations and stakeholder expectations. For example, measuring
Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions relating to our business, developing reduction plans and initiatives, and creating and disclosing achievable
reduction goals can be costly, difficult and time consuming and is subject to evolving reporting standards, including California’s Climate Corporate Data
Accountability Act, California’s Greenhouse Gases: Climate-Related Financial Risk Bill, the SEC’s proposed climate-related reporting requirements, and
similar proposals by other local and international regulatory agencies. We may also communicate certain initiatives and goals regarding sustainability and
human capital management related matters, such as diversity, responsible sourcing and social investments in our SEC filings or in other public disclosures.
In November 2021, we announced that we had set science-based targets validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative to reduce absolute Scope 1, 2 and
3 greenhouse gas emissions 50% by 2030 from a 2019 base year, and achievement of this goal is subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which are
outside of our control and may prove to be more difficult and costly than we anticipate.
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In addition, statements about our sustainability-related initiatives and goals, and progress toward those goals, may be based on standards for
measuring progress that are still developing, internal controls and processes that continue to evolve, and assumptions that are subject to change in the
future. If we are unable to meet our sustainability-related goals or evolving stakeholder or industry expectations and standards, or if we are perceived to
have not responded appropriately to the growing concern for sustainability issues, investors, guest and other stakeholders may choose to patronize a
competitor that they perceive to be more responsive, and our reputation, business or financial condition may be adversely affected. If our sustainability-
related data, processes and reporting are incomplete or inaccurate, or if we fail to achieve progress with respect to our sustainability goals on a timely basis,
or at all, our reputation, business, financial performance and growth could be adversely affected.
In addition, we could be criticized by anti-ESG stakeholders for the scope or nature of our sustainability initiatives or goals or for any revisions to
these goals. We could also be subjected to negative responses by governmental actors (such as anti-ESG legislation or retaliatory legislative treatment) or
consumers (such as boycotts or negative publicity campaigns) that could adversely affect our reputation, business, financial performance and growth.
Climate change and volatile adverse weather conditions could adversely affect our restaurant sales or results of operations.
There is growing concern that climate change and global warming has caused and may continue to cause more severe, volatile weather or extended
droughts, which could increase the frequency and duration of weather impacts on our operations. Adverse weather conditions have in the past and may
again impact guest traffic at our restaurants and, in more severe cases such as hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires or other natural disasters, cause temporary
restaurant closures, all of which negatively impact our restaurant sales. In addition, our supply chain is subject to increased costs caused by the effects of
climate change, diminishing energy and water resources. Increasing weather volatility and changes in global weather patterns can reduce crop size and crop
quality, or destroy crops altogether, which could result in decreased availability or higher pricing for our produce and other ingredients. We may be forced
to source ingredients from new geographic regions, which could impact quality and taste, and increase our costs. These factors are beyond our control and,
in many instances, unpredictable. Climate change and government regulation relating to climate change also could result in construction delays for new
restaurants and interruptions to the availability or increases in the cost of utilities. The ongoing and long-term costs of these impacts related to climate
change and other sustainability-related issues could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition if we are not able to mitigate
them.
Economic and business factors that are largely beyond our control may adversely affect consumer behavior and the results of our operations.
Restaurant dining generally is dependent upon consumer discretionary spending, which may be affected by general economic conditions that are
beyond our control. Increasing or prolonged high inflation, international, domestic and regional economic conditions, consumer income levels, financial
market volatility, a slow or stagnant pace of economic growth, mass layoffs, rising energy costs, rising interest rates, social unrest, military conflicts and
governmental, political and budget concerns or divisions may have a negative effect on consumer confidence and discretionary spending. Persistent
inflation and concern about a prolonged economic downturn may lead consumers to decrease their discretionary spending. A significant decrease in our
guest traffic or average transactions would negatively impact our financial performance. The actual or perceived threat of a pandemic or communicable
disease, terrorist attack, mass shooting, heightened security requirements, including cybersecurity, or a failure to protect information systems for critical
infrastructure, such as the electrical grid and telecommunications systems, could harm our operations, the economy or consumer confidence generally. Any
of the above factors or other unfavorable changes in business and economic conditions affecting our guests could increase our costs, reduce traffic in our
restaurants or limit our ability to increase pricing, any of which could lower our profit margins and have a material adverse effect on our sales, financial
condition and results of operations. These factors also could cause us to, among other things, reduce the number and frequency of new restaurant openings,
close restaurants or delay remodeling of our existing restaurant locations. Further, poor economic conditions may force nearby businesses to shut down,
which could reduce traffic to our restaurants or cause our restaurant locations to be less attractive.
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Our quarterly financial results may fluctuate significantly, including due to factors that are not in our control.
Our quarterly financial results may fluctuate significantly and could fail to meet investors’ expectations for various reasons, including:
negative publicity about the safety of our food, employment-related issues, litigation or other issues involving our restaurants;
fluctuations in supply costs, particularly for our most significant ingredients, and our inability to offset the higher cost with price increases,
without adversely impacting guest traffic;
our inability to purchase sufficient quantities of our key ingredients as our restaurant count grows;
labor availability and wages of restaurant management and employees;
increases in marketing or promotional expenses;
the timing of new restaurant openings and related revenues and expenses, and the operating costs at newly opened restaurants;
the impact of inclement weather and natural disasters, such as freezes and droughts, which could decrease guest traffic and increase the costs of
ingredients;
the amount and timing of stock-based compensation;
litigation, settlement costs and related legal expenses;
tax expenses, asset impairment charges and non-operating costs; and
variations in general economic conditions, including the impact of rising inflation and the impact of rising interest rates on consumer demand
trends.
As a result of any of these factors, results for any one quarter are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for any other quarter or for any
year. Average restaurant sales or comparable restaurant sales in any future period may decrease.
None.
As a global company, we are regularly subject to cyberattacks and other cybersecurity incidents. In response, we have implemented cybersecurity
processes, technologies, and controls to aid in our efforts to assess, identify, and manage cybersecurity risks. Our enterprise risk management framework
considers cybersecurity risk alongside other company risks as part of our overall risk assessment process. Our enterprise risk management team
collaborates with our Information Security function, led by our Chief Information Security Officer (“CISO”) and our Chief Customer and Technology
Officer (“CCTO”), to gather insights for assessing, identifying and managing cybersecurity threat risks, their severity, and potential mitigations. We also
are a member of an industry cybersecurity intelligence and risk sharing organization to stay abreast of changes in the cybersecurity environment.
We assess Chipotle’s Information Security program using an industry cybersecurity framework from the National Institute of Standards and
Technology. This program includes policies, processes and procedures that help assess and identify our cybersecurity risks and inform how security
measures and controls are developed, implemented and maintained. The risk assessment along with risk-based analysis and judgment are used to select
security controls to address risks. During this process, the following factors, among others, are considered: likelihood and severity of risk, impact on the
Company and others if a risk materializes, feasibility and cost of controls and impact of controls on operations.
We maintain internal resources to perform penetration testing designed to simulate evolving tactics and techniques of real-world threat actors, engage
with industry partners and law enforcement and intelligence communities and conduct tabletop exercises and periodic risk interviews across our business.
We also engage an independent third party to perform internal and external penetration testing of Chipotle's information security environment periodically
and engage other third parties to periodically conduct assessments of our cybersecurity capabilities. In addition, we continue to expand training and
awareness practices to mitigate risk from human error, including mandatory computer-based training and internal communications for employees. Our
employees undergo cybersecurity awareness training and regular phishing awareness campaigns that are based upon and designed to emulate real-world
contemporary threats. We provide prompt feedback (and, if necessary, additional training or remedial action) based on the results of such exercises.
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Our processes also address cybersecurity risks associated with our use of third-party service providers including suppliers, software and cloud-based
service providers, as well as third-party security firms used in different capacities to provide or operate some of our cybersecurity controls and technology
systems. We proactively evaluate the cybersecurity risk of a third party by utilizing a repository of risk assessments, external monitoring sources, threat
intelligence and predictive analytics to better inform Chipotle during contracting and vendor selection processes. Additionally, when third party risks are
identified, we require those third parties to agree by contract to implement appropriate security controls. Security issues are documented and tracked, and
periodic monitoring of third parties is conducted in an effort to mitigate risk.
In addition to the processes, technologies, and controls that we have in place to reduce the likelihood of a material cybersecurity incident (or series of
related cybersecurity incidents), Chipotle has a written incident response plan outlining how to address cybersecurity events that occur. The plan sets forth
the steps for coordination among various corporate functions and governance groups and serves as a framework for the execution of responsibilities across
businesses and operational roles. Our incident response plan is designed to help us coordinate actions to prepare for, detect, respond to and recover from
cybersecurity incidents, and includes processes to triage, assess severity, escalate, contain, investigate, and remediate the incident, as well as to assess the
need for disclosure, comply with applicable legal obligations and mitigate the impact to our brand and reputation and on impacted parties. We also maintain
insurance coverage that, subject to its terms and conditions, is intended to help us cover certain costs associated with cybersecurity incidents and
information system failures.
In addition to our cybersecurity incident response plan, we conduct tabletop exercises to enhance our incident response preparedness. We maintain
business continuity and disaster recovery plans to prepare for and respond to the potential for a disruption in the technology we rely on.
Chipotle (or the third parties it relies on) may not be able to fully, continuously, or effectively implement security controls as intended. As described
above, we utilize a risk-based approach and judgment to determine whether and how to implement certain security controls and it is possible that we may
not implement the necessary controls if we are unable to recognize or underestimate a particular risk. In addition, security controls, no matter how well
designed or implemented, may only mitigate and not fully eliminate cybersecurity risks. Cybersecurity events, when detected by security tools or third
parties, may not always be identified immediately or addressed in the manner intended by our cybersecurity incident response plan.
Based on the information available as of the date of this Annual Report, we have no reason to believe any risks from cybersecurity threats, including
as a result of any previous cybersecurity incidents, have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect us, including our business strategy,
results of operations or financial condition. For additional information, see “Risks Related to Cybersecurity, Data Privacy and IT Systems,” in Item 1A,
“Risk Factors” in this Annual Report.
Cybersecurity Governance
Our cybersecurity risk management and strategy processes are led by our CISO and our CCTO. These individuals have collectively over 50 years of
professional experience in various roles across multiple industries involving managing information security, developing cybersecurity strategy,
implementing effective information and cybersecurity programs and managing multiple industry and regulatory compliance environments. Both individuals
previously held positions similar to their current roles at other large publicly traded organizations.
Cybersecurity is an important part of our risk management processes and an area of focus for our Board of Directors (the “Board”) and management.
Although cybersecurity risk oversight continues to remain a top priority for the Board, the Audit and Risk Committee of our Board has primary oversight
responsibility for the Company’s cybersecurity and other technology risks. The Committee regularly reviews and discusses with our CISO and our CCTO
the Company’s cybersecurity, privacy and data security programs, the status of projects to strengthen internal cybersecurity, results from third-party
assessments, and any significant cybersecurity incidents, including recent incidents at other companies and the emerging threat landscape. The Committee
also reviews with management the implementation and effectiveness of the Company’s controls to monitor and mitigate cybersecurity risks. In addition,
our Board receives an annual report and quarterly written updates regarding our cybersecurity program.
ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
As of December 31, 2023, there were 3,437 restaurants operated by Chipotle and our consolidated subsidiaries. Our main office is located at 610
Newport Center Drive, Suite 1100, Newport Beach, CA 92660 and our telephone number is (949) 524-4000. We lease our main office and substantially all
of the properties on which we operate restaurants. We own 17 properties and operate restaurants on all of them. For additional information regarding the
lease terms and provisions, see Note 1. “Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” and Note 9. “Leases” in our
consolidated financial statements included in Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”
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For information regarding legal proceedings, see Note 11. “Commitments and Contingencies” in our consolidated financial statements included in
Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”
Not applicable.
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PART II
ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED SHAREHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF
EQUITY SECURITIES
Our common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “CMG.”
As of February 5, 2024, there were approximately 1,508 shareholders of record. This does not include persons whose stock is in nominee or “street
name” accounts through brokers.
The table below reflects shares of common stock we repurchased during the fourth quarter of 2023.
Total Number
of Shares Approximate
Purchased as Dollar Value of
Part of Shares that
Publicly May Yet Be
Total Number Announced Purchased
of Shares Average Price Plans or Under the Plans
Purchased Paid Per Share Programs(1) or Programs
October 52,611 $ 1,840.49 52,611 $ 271,538,394
Purchased 10/1 through 10/31
November 13,084 $ 2,092.54 13,084 $ 244,159,596
Purchased 11/1 through 11/30
December 8,828 $ 2,271.49 8,828 $ 424,106,921
Purchased 12/1 through 12/31
Total 74,523 $ 1,935.80 74,523
(1) Shares were repurchased pursuant to repurchase programs announced on July 26, 2023 and October 26, 2023.
(2) The December total includes an additional $200 million in authorized repurchases approved on December 14, 2023 and announced February 6,
2024. There is no expiration date for this program. The authorization to repurchase shares will end when we have repurchased the maximum amount
of shares authorized, or we have determined to discontinue such repurchases.
Dividend Policy
We are not required to pay any dividends and have not declared or paid any cash dividends on our common stock. We intend to continue to retain
earnings for use in the operation and expansion of our business and to repurchase shares of common stock (subject to market conditions), and therefore do
not anticipate paying any cash dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future.
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The following graph compares the cumulative annual stockholders return on our common stock from December 31, 2018, through December 31,
2023, to that of the total return index for the S&P 500 and the S&P 500 Restaurants Index assuming an investment of $100 on December 31, 2018. In
calculating total annual stockholder return, reinvestment of dividends, if any, is assumed. The indices are included for comparative purposes only. They do
not necessarily reflect management’s opinion that such indices are an appropriate measure of the relative performance of our common stock. The values
shown are neither indicative nor determinative of future performance. This graph is not “soliciting material,” is not deemed filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission and is not to be incorporated by reference in any of our filings under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, whether made before
or after the date hereof and irrespective of any general incorporation language in any such filing.
*$100 invested on December 31, 2018, in stock or index, including reinvestment of dividends.
Fiscal year ending December 31, 2023.
Source data: FactSet
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ITEM 6. RESERVED
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
You should read the following discussion together with our consolidated financial statements and related notes included in Item 8. “Financial
Statements and Supplementary Data.” This section of the Form 10-K generally discusses 2023 items and year-to-year comparisons of 2023 to 2022.
Discussions of 2021 items and year-to-year comparisons of 2022 and 2021 that are not included in this Form 10-K can be found in “Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II, Item 7 on our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended
December 31, 2022. The discussion contains forward-looking statements involving risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause our results to
differ materially from expectations. See “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.” Factors that might cause such differences include
those described in Item 1A. “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this report.
Overview
As of December 31, 2023, we operated 3,371 Chipotle restaurants throughout the United States, and 66 international Chipotle restaurants. We manage
our U.S. operations based on eight regions and aggregate our operations to one reportable segment.
Throughout “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” we commonly discuss the following key
operating metrics which we believe will drive our financial results and long-term growth model. We believe these metrics are useful to investors because
management uses these metrics to assess the growth of our business and the effectiveness of our marketing and operational strategies:
Sales Trends. Comparable restaurant sales increased 7.9% for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase is primarily attributable to higher
transactions and, to a lesser extent, an increase in average check. Comparable restaurant sales represent the change in period-over-period total revenue for
restaurants in operation for at least 13 full calendar months. Digital sales represented 37.4% of total food and beverage revenue.
Restaurant Operating Costs. During the year ended December 31, 2023, our restaurant operating costs (food, beverage and packaging; labor;
occupancy; and other operating costs) were 73.8% of total revenue, a decrease from 76.1% during the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease was
driven primarily by sales leverage and, to a lesser extent, lower avocado prices. These decreases were partially offset by higher inflation across several food
ingredients and, to a lesser extent, wage inflation.
Restaurant Development. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we opened 271 new restaurants, which included 238 restaurants with a
Chipotlane. We expect to open approximately 285-315 new restaurants in 2024 (including 5 to 10 relocations), which assumes developer, permit,
inspection, and utility delays do not worsen. We expect that at least 80% of our new restaurants will include a Chipotlane.
Cultivate Next Fund. Our Cultivate Next Fund is a venture formed to make early-stage investments into strategically aligned companies that further
our mission to Cultivate a Better World. The Fund has an initial size of $50.0 million, which is financed almost entirely by Chipotle. As of December 31,
2023, we have made $33.0 million in investments through this Fund. In December 2023, our Board approved an additional $50.0 million financial
commitment to this Fund. As of December 31, 2023, none of this additional $50.0 million has been invested.
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Restaurant Activity
The following table details restaurant unit data for the years indicated.
Results of Operations
Our results of operations as a percentage of total revenue and period-over-period change are discussed in the following section.
Revenue
(1) Average restaurant sales refer to the average trailing 12-month food and beverage sales for restaurants in operation for at least 12 full calendar months.
The following is a summary of the change in restaurant sales for the period indicated:
Year ended
(dollars in millions)
For the period ending December 31, 2022 $ 8,634.7
Change from:
Comparable restaurant sales 636.3
Restaurant not yet in comparable base opened in 2023 242.1
Restaurant not yet in comparable base opened in 2022 356.3
Other 2.2
For the period ending December 31, 2023 $ 9,871.6
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Food, beverage and packaging costs decreased 0.6% as a percentage of total revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year
ended December 31, 2022, including 1.6% from menu price increases and 0.6% from lower avocado costs, partially offset by 1.6% due to inflation across
several ingredient costs, primarily beef, tortillas and queso.
Labor Costs
Labor costs decreased 0.8% as a percentage of total revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022,
including 1.4% from sales leverage, partially offset by 0.8% due to restaurant wage inflation.
Beginning in April 2024, California legislation will require national restaurant chains, including Chipotle, to pay a minimum $20 per hour wage to
restaurant workers in California This will increase wages in California nearly 20% and will result in wage inflation increasing from the low to mid-single
digit range to the mid-single-digit range. We expect to increase menu prices in California to mitigate higher wage costs resulting from this legislation.
Occupancy Costs
Occupancy costs decreased 0.2% as a percentage of total revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31,
2022, primarily due to sales leverage, partially offset by increased rent expense associated with new restaurants.
Other operating costs decreased 0.7% as a percentage of total revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December
31, 2022, including 0.6% of sales leverage and 0.2% of lower delivery expenses, partially offset by 0.1% of higher maintenance costs.
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Following is a summary of the change in General and administrative expense for the periods indicated:
Year ended
(dollars in millions)
For the period ending December 31, 2022 $ 564.2
Change from:
Performance bonuses 31.1
Stock-based compensation, primarily performance-based awards 24.3
Outside services related to corporate initiatives 14.5
Wages, primarily due to headcount growth 10.9
Conferences, primarily biennial All Managers’ Conference (8.9)
Other (2.5)
For the period ending December 31, 2023 $ 633.6
Depreciation and amortization decreased 0.1% as a percentage of total revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended
December 31, 2022, primarily due to sales leverage, partially offset by increased depreciation expense associated with new restaurants and, to a lesser
extent, the reduction of useful lives for certain leasehold improvements.
Impairment, closure costs, and asset disposals increased in dollar terms for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December
31, 2022, primarily due to elevated impairment of operating lease assets and leasehold improvements and higher charges related to the replacement of
certain leasehold improvements and, to a lesser extent, the replacement of certain kitchen equipment. These elevated impairments include the impact of
closing all Pizzeria Locale restaurants.
Interest and other income, net increased in dollar terms for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022,
primarily due to increased interest income on our investments in U.S. Treasury securities, money market funds and time deposits, partially offset by a gain
on our investments in Tractor Beverages, Inc. of $10.4 million recognized in the second quarter of 2022.
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*Not meaningful
The effective income tax rate increased 0.3% for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily due
to a 0.4% decrease in excess tax benefits from equity vesting and exercises.
Seasonal factors cause our profitability to fluctuate from quarter to quarter. Historically, our average daily restaurant sales and net income are lower
in the first and fourth quarters due, in part, to the holiday season and because fewer people eat out during periods of inclement weather (the winter months)
than during periods of mild or warm weather (the spring, summer and fall months). Other factors also have a seasonal effect on our results. For example,
restaurants located near colleges and universities generally do more business during the academic year. Seasonal factors, however, might be moderated or
outweighed by other factors that may influence our quarterly results, such as unexpected publicity impacting our business in a positive or negative way,
worldwide health pandemics, impact of inflation on consumer spending, fluctuations in food or packaging costs, or the timing of menu price increases or
promotional activities and other marketing initiatives. The number of trading days in a quarter can also affect our results, although, on an overall annual
basis, changes in trading days do not have a significant impact.
Our quarterly results are also affected by other factors such as the amount and timing of non-cash stock-based compensation expense and related tax
rate impacts, litigation, settlement costs and related legal expenses, impairment charges and non-operating costs, timing of marketing or promotional
expenses, the number and timing of new restaurants opened in a quarter, and closure of restaurants. New restaurants typically have higher operating costs
following opening because of the expenses associated with their opening and operating inefficiencies in the months immediately following opening.
Accordingly, results for a particular quarter are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for any other quarter or for any year.
Borrowing Capacity
As of December 31, 2023, we had $500.0 million of undrawn borrowing capacity under a line of credit facility.
Use of Cash
We believe that cash from operations, together with our cash and investment balances, will be sufficient to meet ongoing capital expenditures,
working capital requirements and other cash needs for the foreseeable future. Assuming no significant declines in comparable restaurant sales, we expect
we will generate positive cash flow for the foreseeable future.
We have not required significant working capital because customers generally pay using cash or credit and debit cards and because our operations do
not require significant receivables, nor do they require significant inventories due, in part, to our use of various fresh ingredients. In addition, we generally
have the right to pay for the purchase of food, beverages and supplies sometime after the receipt of those items, generally within ten days, thereby reducing
the need for incremental working capital to support our growth.
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Our total capital expenditures for 2023 were $560.7 million. In 2023, we spent on average about $1.4 million in development and construction costs
per new restaurant, or about $1.2 million net of landlord reimbursements of $0.2 million. In 2024, we expect to incur about $635.0 million in total capital
expenditures. We expect approximately $430.0 million in capital expenditures related to our construction of new restaurants, before any reductions for
landlord reimbursements. For new restaurants to be opened in 2024, we anticipate average development costs will remain consistent with 2023. We expect
approximately $130.0 million in capital expenditures related to investments in existing restaurants including remodeling and similar improvements, new
equipment and hardware, technology to optimize efficiencies. Finally, we expect a portion of our incurred capital expenditures to be for additional
corporate initiatives including investments in technology to boost innovation, enhance the guest experience, and improve operations.
The following table summarizes current and long-term material cash requirements as of December 31, 2023, which we expect to fund primarily with
operating cash flows:
(1) See Note 9. “Leases” of our consolidated financial statements included in Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.” This includes
commitments related to reasonably certain renewal periods.
(2) Purchase obligations include agreements to purchase goods or services that are enforceable and legally binding on us and that specify all significant
terms. We have excluded agreements that are cancelable without penalty. The majority of our purchase obligations relate to food, beverage and
packaging, capital projects, information technology, marketing initiatives and corporate sponsorships, and other miscellaneous items.
The above table does not include income tax liabilities for uncertain tax positions for which we are not able to make a reasonably reliable estimate of
the amount and period of related future payments. Additionally, we have excluded our estimated loss contingencies, due to uncertainty regarding the timing
and amount of payment. See Note 11. “Commitments and Contingencies” of our consolidated financial statements included in Item 8. “Financial
Statements and Supplementary Data.”
Cash Flows
Cash provided by operating activities was $1.8 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $1.3 billion for the year ended December
31, 2022. The increase was primarily due to higher net earnings and, to a lesser extent, net cash changes in non-tax operating assets and liabilities.
Cash used in investing activities was $946.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $830.0 million for the year ended December
31, 2022. The change was primarily associated with increased capital expenditures of $81.6 million primarily related to costs associated with new
restaurant development and, to a lesser extent, a $34.4 million increase in investment purchases net of investment maturities.
Cash used in financing activities was $660.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $929.4 million for the year ended
December 31, 2022. The change was primarily due to decreased treasury stock repurchases of $237.8 million and, to a lesser extent, $29.8 million of lower
payments of tax withholdings related to stock-based compensation.
We describe our significant accounting policies in Note 1. “Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” of our
consolidated financial statements included in Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.” Critical accounting estimates are those that we
believe are both significant and that require us to make difficult, subjective or complex judgments, often because we need to estimate the effect of
inherently uncertain matters. We base our estimates and judgments on historical experiences and various other factors that we believe to be appropriate
under the circumstances. Actual results may differ from these estimates, and we might obtain different estimates if we used different assumptions or
factors.
Leases
The majority of our operating leases consist of restaurant locations and office space. We determine if a contract contains a lease at inception. Our
leases generally have remaining terms of 1-20 years and most include options to extend the leases for additional 5-year periods. Generally, the lease term is
the minimum of the noncancelable period of the lease or the lease term inclusive of reasonably certain renewal periods up to a term of 20 years. If the
estimate of our reasonably certain lease term was changed, our depreciation and rent expense could differ materially.
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Operating lease assets and liabilities are recognized at the lease commencement date, which is the date we control the use of the property. Operating
lease liabilities represent the present value of lease payments not yet paid. We made the policy election to combine lease and non-lease components. We
consider fixed common area maintenance (“CAM”) part of our fixed future lease payments; therefore, fixed CAM is also included in our operating lease
liability. Operating lease assets represent our right to use an underlying asset and are based upon the operating lease liabilities adjusted for prepayments,
initial direct costs, lease incentives, and impairment of operating lease assets. To determine the present value of lease payments not yet paid, we estimate
incremental borrowing rates corresponding to the reasonably certain lease term. As we have no outstanding debt nor committed credit facilities, secured or
otherwise, we estimate this rate based on prevailing financial market conditions, comparable company and credit analysis, and management judgment. If
the estimate of our incremental borrowing rate was changed, our operating lease assets and liabilities could differ materially.
Deferred Revenue
Chipotle Rewards
Eligible customers who enroll in the Chipotle Rewards loyalty program generally earn points for every dollar spent. After accumulating the required
number of points, the customer may select a reward. Earned rewards generally expire one to two months after they are issued, and points generally expire if
an account is inactive for a period of six months.
The estimation of the standalone selling price of points and other rewards issued to customers involves several assumptions, primarily the estimated
value of product for which the reward is expected to be redeemed and the probability that the points or reward will expire. Our estimate of points and other
rewards we expect to be redeemed is based on historical company specific data. These inputs are subject to change over time due to factors such as menu
price increases, changes in point redemption options and changes in customer behavior. A relative increase of 100 basis points in our estimated ultimate
redemption rate for future redemptions would have resulted in a reduction of food and beverage revenue on our consolidated statement of income and
comprehensive income of approximately $0.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Gift Cards
We sell gift cards, which do not have expiration dates, and we do not deduct non-usage fees from outstanding gift card balances. Gift card balances
are initially recorded as unearned revenue. We recognize revenue from gift cards when the gift card is redeemed by the customer. Historically, the majority
of gift cards are redeemed within one year. In addition, a portion of gift cards are not expected to be redeemed and will be recognized as breakage over time
in proportion to gift card redemptions (“gift card breakage rate”). The gift card breakage rate is based on company and program specific information,
including historical redemption patterns, and expected remittance to government agencies under unclaimed property laws, if applicable. We evaluate our
gift card breakage rate estimate annually, or more frequently as circumstances warrant, and apply that rate to gift card redemptions. A relative decrease of
100 basis points to our gift card breakage rate would have resulted in a reduction of food and beverage revenue on our consolidated statement of income
and comprehensive income of approximately $0.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be
recoverable. Long-lived assets are grouped at the lowest level for which identifiable cash flows are largely independent of the cash flows of other assets
and liabilities. For restaurant assets, we test impairment at the individual restaurant asset group level, which includes leasehold improvements, property and
equipment and operating lease assets.
The fair value measurement for asset impairment is generally based on Level 3 inputs. We first compare the carrying value of the asset (or asset
group, referred interchangeably throughout as asset) to the asset’s estimated future undiscounted cash flows. If the estimated undiscounted future cash
flows are less than the carrying value of the asset, we determine if we have an impairment loss by comparing the carrying value of the asset to the asset's
estimated fair value. The estimated fair value of the asset is generally determined using the income approach to measure the fair value, which is based on
the present value of estimated future cash flows. Key inputs to the income approach for restaurant assets include the discount rate, projected revenue and
expenses, and sublease income if we are closing the restaurant. In certain cases, management uses other market information, when available, to estimate the
fair value of an asset. The impairment charges represent the excess of each asset’s carrying amount over its estimated fair value and are allocated among the
long-lived asset or assets of the group.
Our estimates of future revenues and expenses are highly subjective judgments based on internal projections and knowledge of our operations,
historical performance, and trends in sales and restaurant operating costs, and can be significantly impacted by changes in our business or economic
conditions. The determination of asset fair value is also subject to significant judgment and utilizes valuation techniques including discounting estimated
future cash flows and market-based analyses to determine fair value. If our estimates or underlying assumptions, including discount rate and sublease
income change in the future, our operating results may be materially impacted.
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Stock-based Compensation
We recognize compensation expense for equity awards over the requisite service period based on the award’s fair value. We use the Black-Scholes
valuation model to determine the fair value of our stock-only stock appreciation rights (“SOSARs”), and we use the Monte Carlo simulation model to
determine the fair value of stock awards that contain market conditions. Both of these models require assumptions to be made regarding our stock price
volatility, the expected life of the award and expected dividend rates. The volatility and the expected life assumptions were based on our historical data.
Similarly, the compensation expense of performance share awards is based in part on the estimated probability of achieving levels of performance
associated with particular levels of payout for performance shares. We determine the probability of achievement of future levels of performance by
comparing the relevant performance level with our internal estimates of future performance. Those estimates are based on a number of assumptions,
including but not limited to growth in restaurant cash flow dollars, growth in comparable restaurant sales and average restaurant level operating margin,
and different assumptions may have resulted in different conclusions regarding the probability of achieving future levels of performance relevant to the
payout levels for the awards. If we change our estimates of stock price volatility or expected lives of our SOSARs, or if we change our assumptions
regarding the probability of achieving future levels of performance with respect to performance share awards, our stock-based compensation expense and
results of operations may be materially impacted.
Insurance Liability
We are self-insured for a significant portion of our employee health benefits programs. We carry significant retentions for risks and associated
liabilities with respect to workers’ compensation, general liability, property and auto damage, employment practices liability, cyber liability and directors’
and officers’ liability. Predetermined loss limits have been arranged with third-party insurance companies to limit exposure to these claims. We record a
liability that represents our estimated cost of claims incurred and unpaid as of the balance sheet date. Our estimated liability is not discounted and is based
on a number of assumptions and factors, including historical trends, actuarial assumptions and economic conditions, and is closely monitored and adjusted
when warranted by changing circumstances. If a greater amount of claims occurs compared to what we have estimated, or if medical costs increase beyond
what we expected, our accrued liabilities might not be sufficient. Actual claims experience could also be more favorable than estimated. If we change our
estimates for the cost of claims incurred and unpaid, or if actual claims differ from these estimates, our insurance expense and results of operations may be
materially impacted.
We are involved in various claims and legal actions that arise in the ordinary course of business. We record an accrual for legal contingencies when
we determine that it is probable that we have incurred a liability and we can reasonably estimate the amount of the loss. Although we have recorded
liabilities related to a number of legal actions, our estimates used to determine the amount of these liabilities may not be accurate, and there are other legal
actions for which we have not recorded a liability. As a result, in the event legal actions for which we have not accrued a liability or for which our accrued
liabilities are not accurate are resolved, such resolution may affect our operating results and cash flows.
Income Taxes
Our provision for income taxes, deferred tax assets and liabilities and any related valuation allowance requires the use of estimates based on our
management’s interpretation and application of complex tax laws and accounting guidance. We are primarily subject to income taxes in the U.S. We
establish reserves for uncertain tax positions for material, known tax exposures relating to deductions, transactions and other matters involving some
uncertainty as to the measurement and recognition of the item. We may adjust these reserves when our judgment changes as a result of the evaluation of
new information not previously available and will be reflected in the period in which the new information is available, or due to the expiration of any
applicable statute of limitations. While we believe that our reserves are adequate, issues raised by a tax authority may be resolved at an amount different
than the related reserve and could materially increase or decrease our income tax provision in future periods.
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We are exposed to commodity price risks. Many of the ingredients we use to prepare our food, as well as our packaging materials and utilities to run
our restaurants, are ingredients or commodities that are affected by the price of other commodities, exchange rates, foreign demand, weather, seasonality,
production, availability and other factors outside our control. We work closely with our suppliers and use a mix of forward pricing protocols under which
we agree with our supplier on fixed prices for deliveries at some time in the future, fixed pricing protocols under which we agree on a fixed price with our
supplier for the duration of that protocol, formula pricing protocols under which the prices we pay are based on a specified formula related to the prices of
the goods, such as spot prices or based on changes in industry indices, and range forward protocols under which we agree on a price range for the duration
of that protocol. Generally, our pricing protocols with suppliers can remain in effect for periods ranging from one to 24 months, depending on the outlook
for prices of the particular ingredient. In some cases, we have minimum purchase obligations. We have tried to increase, where practical, the number of
suppliers for our ingredients, which we believe can help mitigate pricing volatility, and we follow industry news, trade issues, exchange rates, foreign
demand, weather, crises and other world events that may affect our ingredient prices. Increases in ingredient prices could adversely affect our results if we
choose for competitive or other reasons not to increase menu prices at the same rate at which ingredient costs increase, or if menu price increases result in
customer resistance. We also could experience shortages of key ingredients for many unforeseen reasons, such as crop damage due to inclement weather, if
our suppliers need to close or restrict operations, or due to industry-wide shipping and freight delays.
We are exposed to interest rate risk through fluctuations of interest rates on our investments. As of December 31, 2023, we had $1.9 billion in cash
and cash equivalents, current and long-term investments, and restricted cash, of which the substantial majority are interest bearing. Changes in interest rates
affect the interest income we earn, and therefore impact our cash flows and results of operations.
A portion of our operations consist of activities outside of the U.S. and we have currency risk on the transactions in other currencies and translation
adjustments resulting from the conversion of our international financial results into the U.S. dollar. However, a substantial majority of our operations and
investment activities are transacted in the U.S., and therefore our foreign currency risk is not material at this date.
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To the Shareholders and the Board of Directors of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (the Company) as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the
related consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income, shareholders' equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended
December 31, 2023, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial
statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at December 31, 2023 and 2022, and the results of its operations
and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2023, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company's
internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the
Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) and our report dated February 7, 2024 expressed an unqualified
opinion thereon.
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial
statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the
Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the
PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable
assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing
procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to
those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits
also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the
financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that was communicated or
required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2)
involved our especially challenging, subjective or complex judgments. The communication of the critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion
on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion
on the critical audit matter or on the account or disclosure to which it relates.
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Description of the The Company incurred $126.7 million in stock-based compensation expense during the year ended December 31, 2023.
Matter Approximately 114,000 of the Company’s vested and non-vested stock awards were subject to performance conditions during
the year ended December 31, 2023. As described in Notes 1 and 8 of the consolidated financial statements, the Company
records the grant date fair value of the performance stock awards and expenses the fair value of the performance stock awards
subject to service conditions over the respective vesting period. Stock-based compensation expense of stock awards subject to
performance conditions is based on the estimated probability of achieving levels of performance associated with particular
levels of payout. Additionally, at each reporting period, the Company evaluates the probable outcome of the performance
conditions including consideration of significant assumptions and as applicable, recognizes the cumulative effect of the change
in estimate in the period of the change.
Auditing the estimated quantity of awards the Company determined are probable of vesting for the Company’s stock awards
subject to performance conditions was complex and judgmental. In particular, the stock compensation expense is sensitive to
significant assumptions including management’s internal estimates of the Company’s future performance.
How We Addressed the We obtained an understanding, evaluated the design, and tested the operating effectiveness of management’s controls over
Matter in Our Audit stock-based compensation. We tested controls over management’s review of the assumptions used with regards to the
performance conditions. We also tested management's controls to validate that data used in management’s internal estimates of
the Company’s future performance was complete and accurate.
Our substantive audit procedures included, among others, testing the significant assumptions underlying the performance
conditions (e.g., certain targets related to growth in cumulative restaurant cash flow dollars and cumulative base restaurant cash
flow dollars) and testing the completeness and accuracy of the underlying data. We evaluated management’s significant
assumptions by comparing the assumptions to current market and economic trends, historical results of the Company's
business, and to other relevant factors. We additionally performed a sensitivity analysis of the significant assumptions to
evaluate the change in the expense to be recognized for the stock awards subject to performance conditions. We also evaluated
the adequacy of the Company’s stock-based compensation disclosures included in Notes 1 and 8 of the consolidated financial
statements in relation to these matters.
Irvine, California
February 7, 2024
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December 31,
2023 2022
Assets
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents $ 560,609 $ 384,000
Accounts receivable, net 115,535 106,880
Inventory 39,309 35,668
Prepaid expenses and other current assets 117,462 86,412
Income tax receivable 52,960 47,741
Investments 734,838 515,136
Total current assets 1,620,713 1,175,837
Leasehold improvements, property and equipment, net 2,170,038 1,951,147
Long-term investments 564,488 388,055
Restricted cash 25,554 24,966
Operating lease assets 3,578,548 3,302,402
Other assets 63,082 63,158
Goodwill 21,939 21,939
Total assets $ 8,044,362 $ 6,927,504
Liabilities and shareholders' equity
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable $ 197,646 $ 184,566
Accrued payroll and benefits 227,537 170,456
Accrued liabilities 147,688 147,539
Unearned revenue 209,680 183,071
Current operating lease liabilities 248,074 236,248
Total current liabilities 1,030,625 921,880
Commitments and contingencies (Note 11)
Long-term operating lease liabilities 3,803,551 3,495,162
Deferred income tax liabilities 89,109 98,623
Other liabilities 58,870 43,816
Total liabilities 4,982,155 4,559,481
Shareholders' equity:
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value, 600,000 shares authorized, no shares issued as of December 31, 2023 and
December 31, 2022, respectively - -
Common stock, $0.01 par value, 230,000 shares authorized, 37,483 and 37,320 shares issued as of December
31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively 375 373
Additional paid-in capital 1,956,160 1,829,304
Treasury stock, at cost, 10,057 and 9,693 common shares as of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022,
respectively (4,944,656) (4,282,014)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss (6,657) (7,888)
Retained earnings 6,056,985 4,828,248
Total shareholders' equity 3,062,207 2,368,023
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 8,044,362 $ 6,927,504
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In this annual report on Form 10-K, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc., a Delaware corporation, together with its subsidiaries, is collectively referred to as
“Chipotle,” “we,” “us,” or “our.”
We develop and operate restaurants that serve a relevant menu of burritos, burrito bowls, quesadillas, tacos, and salads, made using fresh, high-
quality ingredients. As of December 31, 2023, we operated 3,437 restaurants, including 3,371 Chipotle restaurants within the United States, and 66
international Chipotle restaurants. In the current year we closed all non-Chipotle restaurants. We manage our U.S. operations based on eight regions and
aggregate our operations to one reportable segment.
Our consolidated financial statements include our accounts, our wholly and majority owned subsidiaries and investees we control after elimination of
all intercompany accounts and transactions.
Management Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and
assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial
statements, as well as the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates under
different assumptions or conditions.
We consider highly liquid investment instruments purchased with an initial maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Amounts
receivable from credit card companies are also considered cash equivalents as they are both short-term and highly liquid in nature. We maintain cash and
cash equivalent balances that exceed federally-insured limits with a number of financial institutions.
Restricted Cash
We maintain certain cash balances restricted as to withdrawal or use. Restricted cash assets are primarily insurance-related restricted trust assets.
Accounts Receivable
Accounts receivable primarily consists of receivables from third party gift card distributors, delivery partners, insurance liabilities covered by third-
party insurance carriers and vendor rebates.
We closely monitor accounts receivable and held to maturity investment balances and estimate the allowance for credit losses when lifetime credit
losses are expected by management. Our estimate is based on historical collection experience, external market data and other factors, including those
related to current market conditions and events. We do not recognize a reserve for expected credit losses related to our U.S. Treasury security investments
as management has concluded there is no risk of non-payment.
As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, our allowance for credit losses was $2,742 and $1,180, respectively.
Inventory
Inventory, consisting principally of food, beverages, and supplies, is valued at the lower of first-in, first-out cost or net realizable value.
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Investments are accounted for under the equity method if we are able to exercise significant influence, but not control, over an investee. Our share of
the earnings or losses as reported by the investees is included in interest and other income, net on the consolidated statements of income and comprehensive
income. The investments are evaluated for impairment annually and when facts and circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable.
If a decline in fair value is determined to be other-than-temporary, an impairment charge is recorded in interest income and other income, net on our
consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income.
Investments
Investments classified as trading securities are carried at fair value with any unrealized gain or loss being recorded in interest and other income, net
on the consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income. Investments classified as available-for-sale are carried at fair value with unrealized
gains and losses, net of tax, included as a component of other comprehensive income (loss), net of income taxes on the consolidated statements of income
and comprehensive income. Held-to-maturity securities are carried at amortized cost. Non-marketable equity investments are measured at cost, less
impairments, if any, plus or minus changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for the identical or similar investment of the
same issuer. These gains or losses are included in interest and other income, net on the consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income.
Impairment charges on investments are recognized in interest and other income, net on the consolidated statements of income and comprehensive
income when management believes the decline in the fair value of the investment is other-than-temporary.
Fair value is the price we would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability (exit price) in an orderly transaction between market participants.
For assets and liabilities recorded or disclosed at fair value, we determine fair value based on the following:
Level 1: Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the entity has the ability to access.
Level 2: Observable inputs other than prices included in Level 1, such as quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets;
quoted prices for identical or similar assets and liabilities in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be
corroborated with observable market data.
Level 3: Unobservable inputs for the asset or liability. This includes certain pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies and similar
techniques that use significant unobservable inputs.
The functional currency of our foreign entities is the currency of the primary economic environment in which the entity operates. The operations,
assets, and liabilities of our entities outside the U.S. are initially measured using the functional currency of that entity. Gains and losses arising from the
impact of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations on transactions in foreign currency are included as a separate component of other comprehensive
income (loss), net of income taxes on the consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income. Assets and liabilities of these foreign entities are
translated at exchange rates in effect as of the balance sheet date. Income and expense accounts are translated monthly using average monthly exchange
rates. Resulting translation adjustments are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive loss on the consolidated balance sheets.
Leasehold improvements, property and equipment are recorded at cost. Internal costs directly associated with the acquisition, development and
construction of a restaurant are capitalized. During the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, we capitalized $15,385, $12,695, and $10,870 of
internal costs, respectively. Expenditures for refurbishments and improvements that significantly add to the productivity capacity or extend the useful life
are capitalized, while expenditures for maintenance and repairs are expensed as incurred. Depreciation is calculated using the straight-line method over the
estimated useful lives of the assets. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the lease term, which generally includes option periods that
are reasonably certain, or the estimated useful lives of the assets. Upon retirement or disposal of assets, the accounts are relieved of cost and accumulated
depreciation and any related gain or loss is reflected in impairment, closure costs, and asset disposals in the consolidated statements of income and
comprehensive income. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of their carrying amount or fair value less estimated costs to sell.
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At least annually, or when impairment indicators are present, we evaluate, and adjust when necessary, the estimated useful lives of leasehold
improvements, property and equipment. The changes in estimated useful lives did not have a material impact on depreciation in any period. The estimated
useful lives are:
Leases
The majority of our operating leases consist of restaurant locations and office space. We determine if a contract contains a lease at inception. Our
leases generally have remaining terms of 1-20 years and most include options to extend the leases for additional 5-year periods. Generally, the lease term is
the minimum of the noncancelable period of the lease or the lease term inclusive of reasonably certain renewal periods up to a term of 20 years.
We recognize an operating lease asset and operating lease liability for each lease with a contractual term greater than 12 months at the time of lease
inception. We do not record leases with an initial term of 12 months or less on our consolidated balance sheet but continue to record rent expense on a
straight-line basis over the lease term.
Operating lease assets and liabilities are recognized at the lease commencement date, which is the date we control the use of the property. Operating
lease liabilities represent the present value of lease payments not yet paid. We made the policy election to combine lease and non-lease components. We
consider fixed CAM part of our fixed future lease payments; therefore, fixed CAM is also included in our lease liability. To determine the present value of
lease payments not yet paid, we estimate incremental borrowing rates corresponding to the lease term including reasonably certain renewal periods. As we
have no outstanding debt nor committed credit facilities, secured or otherwise, we estimate this rate based on prevailing financial market conditions,
comparable company and credit analysis, and management judgment.
Total lease costs, which are recorded primarily as occupancy costs, include fixed operating lease costs, variable lease costs and short-term lease costs.
Most of our real estate leases require we pay certain expenses, such as CAM costs, real estate taxes and insurance, of which the fixed portion is included in
operating lease costs. We recognize operating lease costs on a straight-line basis over the lease term. In addition to the above costs, variable lease costs also
include amounts based on a percentage of gross sales in excess of specified levels and are recognized when probable and are not included in determining
the present value of our operating lease liability.
Operating lease assets represent our right to use an underlying asset and are based upon the operating lease liabilities adjusted for prepayments, initial
direct costs, lease incentives, and impairment of operating lease assets. For operating leases, operating lease assets are reduced over the lease term by the
recognized straight-line lease expense less the amount of accretion of the lease liability. Additionally, tenant incentives used to fund leasehold
improvements are generally recognized when earned and reduce our right-of-use asset related to the lease. These are amortized through the operating lease
asset as reductions of expense over the lease term.
Our lease agreements do not contain any material residual value guarantees or material restrictive covenants. We have not entered into any leases
with related parties.
Goodwill
Goodwill is not subject to amortization, but instead is tested for impairment annually in the fourth quarter, or more frequently when impairment
indicators are present, and we are required to record any necessary impairment adjustments. Impairment is measured as the excess of the carrying value
over the fair value of the goodwill. No impairment charges were recognized on goodwill for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021.
Other Assets
Other assets consist primarily of a rabbi trust as described further in Note 4. “Fair Value Measurements,” software as a service implementation costs
where the service period is greater than one year, an equity method investment described further in Note 5. “Equity Investments” and transferable liquor
licenses.
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Insurance Liability
We are self-insured for a significant portion of our employee health benefits programs, and carry significant retentions for risks and associated
liabilities with respect to workers’ compensation, general liability, property and auto damage, employment practices liability, cyber liability and directors’
and officers’ liability. Predetermined loss limits have been arranged with third party insurance companies to limit exposure to these claims. We record a
liability that represents our estimated cost of claims incurred and unpaid as of the balance sheet date. Our estimated liability is not discounted and is based
on a number of assumptions and factors, including historical trends, actuarial assumptions and economic conditions, and is closely monitored and adjusted
when warranted by changing circumstances.
We are involved in various claims and legal actions that arise in the ordinary course of business. We record an accrual for legal contingencies when
we determine that it is probable that we have incurred a liability and we can reasonably estimate the amount of the loss.
Income Taxes
We compute income taxes using the asset and liability method, under which deferred income tax assets and liabilities are recognized based on the
differences between the financial reporting bases and the respective tax bases of assets and liabilities. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using
enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which we expect the temporary differences to reverse. Any effects of changes in
income tax rates or tax laws are included in the provision for income taxes in the period that includes the enactment date.
We routinely assess the realizability of our deferred tax assets by jurisdiction and may record a valuation allowance if, based on all available positive
and negative evidence, we determine that some portion of the deferred tax assets may not be realized prior to expiration. If we determine that we may be
able to realize our deferred tax assets in the future in excess of their net recorded amount, we would make an adjustment to the deferred tax asset valuation
allowance, which would reduce the provision for income taxes during the period in which the determination was made that the deferred tax asset can be
realized.
We evaluate our tax filing positions and recognize a tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that based on its
technical merits the tax position will be sustained upon examination by the relevant taxing authorities, including resolutions of any related appeals or
litigation processes. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such a position are measured based on the largest tax benefit that has a
greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon settlement with a taxing authority. For uncertain tax positions that do not meet this threshold, we record
a related tax reserve in the period in which it arises. We adjust our unrecognized tax benefit liability and provision for income taxes in the period in which
the uncertain tax position is effectively settled, the statute of limitations expires for the relevant taxing authority to examine the tax position or when new
information becomes available that requires a change in recognition and/or measurement of the liability.
We recognize interest to be paid on an underpayment of income taxes in interest expense and any related statutory penalties in the provision for
income taxes in our consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income. Accrued interest and penalties are included within the related tax
reserve on our consolidated balance sheets.
Revenue Recognition
We generally recognize revenue, net of discounts and incentives, when payment is tendered at the point of sale. We report revenue net of sales-related
taxes collected from customers and remitted to governmental taxing authorities. Food and beverage revenue primarily relates to the sale of food and
beverages. Delivery service revenue is comprised of delivery and related service fees charged to customers on sales made through Chipotle’s app and
website.
Delivery
We offer our customers delivery in almost all of our geographic regions. Delivery services are fulfilled by third-party service providers. In some
cases, we make delivery sales through our website Chipotle.com or the Chipotle App (“White Label Sales”). In other cases, we make delivery sales through
a non-Chipotle owned channel, such as the delivery partner’s website or mobile app (“Marketplace Sales”). With respect to White Label Sales, we control
the delivery services and generally recognize revenue, including delivery fees, when the delivery partner transfers food to the customer. For these sales, we
receive payment directly from the customer at the time of sale. With respect to Marketplace Sales, we generally recognize revenue, excluding delivery fees
collected by the delivery partner, when control of the food is transferred to the delivery partner. We receive payment from the delivery partner subsequent
to the transfer of food and the payment terms are short-term in nature.
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Gift Cards
We sell gift cards, which do not have expiration dates and we do not deduct non-usage fees from outstanding gift card balances. Gift card balances
are initially recorded as unearned revenue. We recognize revenue from gift cards when the gift card is redeemed by the customer. Historically, the majority
of gift cards are redeemed within one year. In addition, a portion of gift cards are not expected to be redeemed and will be recognized as breakage over time
in proportion to gift card redemptions. The gift card breakage rate is based on company and program specific information, including historical redemption
patterns, and expected remittance to government agencies under unclaimed property laws, if applicable. We evaluate our gift card breakage rate estimate
annually, or more frequently as circumstances warrant, and apply that rate to gift card redemptions. Gift card liability balances are typically highest at the
end of each calendar year following increased gift card sales during the holiday season; accordingly, revenue recognized from gift card liability balances is
highest in the first quarter of each calendar year.
Chipotle Rewards
We have a loyalty program called Chipotle Rewards. Eligible customers who enroll in the program generally earn points for every dollar spent.
We may also periodically offer promotions, which typically provide the customer with the opportunity to earn bonus points or other rewards.
Customers may redeem earned points for various rewards, which are primarily comprised of free food and beverage items. Earned rewards generally expire
one month to two months after they are issued, and points generally expire if an account is inactive for a period of six months.
We defer revenue associated with the estimated selling price of points or rewards earned by customers as each point or reward is earned, net of points
or rewards we do not expect to be redeemed. The estimated selling price of each point or reward earned is based on the estimated value of the product for
which the reward is expected to be redeemed. Our estimate of points and rewards we expect to be redeemed is based on historical and other company
specific data. The costs associated with rewards redeemed are primarily included in food, beverage, and packaging on our consolidated statements of
income and comprehensive income.
We evaluate Chipotle Rewards point breakage annually, or more frequently as circumstances warrant. The result of this annual breakage assessment
did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.
We recognize revenue associated with Chipotle Rewards within food and beverage revenue on the consolidated statements of income and
comprehensive income when a customer redeems an earned reward. Deferred revenue associated with Chipotle Rewards is included in unearned revenue
on our consolidated balance sheets.
Food, beverage and packaging costs include inventory, warehousing and related purchasing and distribution costs.
Other operating costs include, among other items, marketing and promotional costs, delivery expense, bank and credit card processing fees,
restaurant utilities, technology costs, and maintenance costs.
We receive consideration for a variety of vendor-sponsored programs, such as volume rebates and promotions. Vendor consideration is recorded as a
reduction of food, beverage and packaging or other operating costs on our consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income depending on the
classification of the related costs.
Advertising, marketing and promotional costs are expensed as incurred and totaled $264,085, $250,673 and $222,091 for the years ended
December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Advertising, marketing and promotional costs include costs related to free food which a customer does
not need to make a purchase to earn. These costs are included in other operating costs on the consolidated statements of income and comprehensive
income.
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Stock-Based Compensation
During 2023, we issued shares as part of employee compensation pursuant to the Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. 2022 Stock Incentive Plan (the “2022
Incentive Plan”). SOSARs and stock awards generally vest equally on the second and third anniversaries of the grant date, and SOSARs expire after seven
years. Stock-based compensation expense is generally recognized on a straight-line basis for each separate vesting portion. Compensation expense related
to employees eligible to retire and retain full rights to the awards is recognized over 12 months which coincides with the service period required to earn the
full award. We estimate forfeitures based on historical data when determining the amount of stock-based compensation costs to be recognized in each
period. We have also granted stock awards with performance vesting conditions and/or market vesting conditions. Stock awards with performance or
market vesting conditions generally vest based on our achievement versus stated targets or criteria over a three-year performance and service period.
Performance goals are determined by the Board and include measures such as comparable restaurant sales, average restaurant operating margin, restaurant
cash flow, new restaurant unit growth, and total shareholder return relative to our peer group. Compensation expense on stock awards subject to
performance conditions, which is based on the quantity of awards we have determined are probable of vesting, is recognized over the longer of the
estimated performance goal attainment period or time vesting period. Compensation expense is recognized ratably for awards subject to market conditions
regardless of whether the market condition is satisfied, provided that the requisite service has been met. Some stock-based compensation awards are made
to employees involved in our new restaurant development activities, and expense for these awards is recognized as capitalized development and included in
leasehold improvements, property and equipment, net, on the consolidated balance sheets.
Pre-opening costs, including rent, wages, benefits and travel for training and opening teams, food and other restaurant operating costs, are expensed
as incurred prior to a restaurant opening for business, and are included in operating expenses on the consolidated statements of income and comprehensive
income.
Long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be
recoverable. Long-lived assets are grouped at the lowest level for which identifiable cash flows are largely independent of the cash flows of other assets
and liabilities. For restaurant assets we test impairment at the individual restaurant asset group level, which includes leasehold improvements, property and
equipment and operating lease assets.
The fair value measurement for asset impairment is generally based on Level 3 inputs. See “Fair Value Measurements” above for a description of
level inputs. We first compare the carrying value of the asset (or asset group, referred interchangeably throughout as asset) to the asset’s estimated future
undiscounted cash flows. If the estimated undiscounted future cash flows are less than the carrying value of the asset, we determine if we have an
impairment loss by comparing the carrying value of the asset to the asset's estimated fair value. The estimated fair value of the asset is generally determined
using the income approach to measure the fair value, which is based on the present value of estimated future cash flows. Key inputs to the income approach
for restaurant assets include the discount rate, projected restaurant revenues and expenses, and sublease income if we are closing the restaurant. In certain
cases, management uses other market information, when available, to estimate the fair value of an asset. The impairment charges represent the excess of
each asset’s carrying amount over its estimated fair value and are allocated among the long-lived asset or assets of the group.
Basic earnings per share is calculated by dividing income available to common shareholders by the weighted-average number of shares of common
stock outstanding during each period. Diluted earnings per share (“diluted EPS”) is calculated using income available to common shareholders divided by
diluted weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding during each period. Potentially dilutive securities include shares of common stock
underlying SOSARs and non-vested stock awards (collectively “stock awards”). Diluted EPS considers the impact of potentially dilutive securities except
in periods in which there is a loss because the inclusion of the potential common shares would have an anti-dilutive effect. Stock awards are excluded from
the calculation of diluted EPS in the event they are subject to performance conditions or are antidilutive.
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In November 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-07, “Segment Reporting (Topic 280): Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosure.” The
ASU updates reportable segment disclosure requirements, primarily through requiring enhanced disclosures about significant segment expenses and
information used to assess segment performance. The ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, with early adoption permitted.
We are currently evaluating the impact of adopting this ASU on our disclosures.
In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU No. 2023-09, “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures.” The ASU includes
amendments requiring enhanced income tax disclosures, primarily related to standardization and disaggregation of rate reconciliation categories and
income taxes paid by jurisdiction. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted, and should
be applied either prospectively or retrospectively. We are currently evaluating the impact of adopting this ASU on our disclosures.
We reviewed all other recently issued accounting pronouncements and concluded that they were either not applicable or not expected to have a
significant impact to the consolidated financial statements.
December 31,
2023 2022
Prepaid expenses $ 97,670 $ 69,167
Other current assets 19,792 17,245
Prepaid expenses and other current assets $ 117,462 $ 86,412
December 31,
2023 2022
Land $ 12,943 $ 12,943
Leasehold improvements and buildings 2,595,866 2,317,277
Furniture and fixtures 267,294 242,166
Equipment 1,114,236 989,895
Construction in Progress 161,721 123,453
Leasehold improvements, property and equipment, gross 4,152,060 3,685,734
Accumulated depreciation (1,982,022) (1,734,587)
Leasehold improvements, property and equipment, net $ 2,170,038 $ 1,951,147
December 31,
2023 2022
Workers' compensation liability $ 30,520 $ 27,531
Accrued payroll, bonuses and taxes 170,251 118,638
Other accrued payroll and benefits 26,766 24,287
Accrued payroll and benefits $ 227,537 $ 170,456
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December 31,
2023 2022
Sales and use tax payable $ 42,071 $ 35,567
General, product and automobile insurance reserves 30,169 29,544
Other accrued liabilities 75,448 82,428
Accrued liabilities $ 147,688 $ 147,539
3. Revenue Recognition
Gift Cards
The gift card liability included in unearned revenue on the consolidated balance sheets was as follows:
December 31,
2023 2022
Gift card liability $ 164,930 $ 145,014
Revenue recognized from the redemption of gift cards that was included in unearned revenue at the beginning of the year was as follows:
Chipotle Rewards
Changes in our Chipotle Rewards liability included in unearned revenue on the consolidated balance sheets were as follows:
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The carrying value of our cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, accounts receivable and accounts payable approximate fair value because of
their short-term nature.
Our held-to-maturity investments are comprised of U.S. Treasury securities and a corporate debt security, which are held at amortized cost. We also
have investments in convertible notes receivable which are held at fair-value. Additionally, we maintain a deferred compensation plan with related assets
held in a rabbi trust.
The following tables show our cash, cash equivalents, and debt investments by significant investment category as of December 31, 2023 and 2022:
(2) The fair value of the corporate debt security is measured using Level 3 (unobservable) inputs. We determined the fair value for the corporate debt
security using an internally-developed valuation model and unobservable inputs include credit and liquidity spreads and effective maturity.
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(3) We have elected to measure our investments in convertible notes receivable of private companies at fair value under the fair value option. The fair value
of the notes receivable is measured using Level 3 (unobservable) inputs. We determined the fair value for the notes receivable using an internally-
developed valuation model and unobservable inputs include estimates of the equity value of the underlying business and the timing and probability of
future financing events.
Rabbi Trust
We have elected to fund certain deferred compensation plan obligations, as described further in Note 8. “Stock-Based Compensation and Employee
Benefit Plans”, through a rabbi trust, the assets of which are designated as trading securities. The rabbi trust is subject to creditor claims in the event of
insolvency, but the assets held in the rabbi trust are not available for general corporate purposes. Amounts in the rabbi trust are invested in mutual funds,
consistent with the investment choices selected by participants in their Deferred Plan accounts, which are designated as trading securities, carried at fair
value, and are included in other assets on the consolidated balance sheets. We record trading gains and losses, along with the offsetting amount related to
the increase or decrease in deferred compensation to reflect our exposure to liabilities for payment under the deferred plan in general and administrative
expenses on the consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income.
Assets recognized or disclosed at fair value on the consolidated financial statements on a nonrecurring basis include items such as leasehold
improvements, property and equipment, certain long-term investments, operating lease assets, other assets, and goodwill. These assets are measured at fair
value whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable or if there has been an observable
price change of a non-marketable equity security.
The following table summarizes our restaurant and office assets measured at fair value by hierarchy level on a nonrecurring basis:
Carrying Value
December 31,
Level 2023 2022
Leasehold improvements, property and equipment, net 3 $ 3,571 $ 264
Operating lease assets 3 4,505 713
Total $ 8,076 $ 977
Fair value of these assets was measured using Level 3 inputs (unobservable inputs for the asset or liability). Unobservable inputs include the discount
rate, projected restaurant revenues and expenses, and sublease income if we are closing and intend to sublease the restaurant or office space. For the years
ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, we recorded asset impairments related to restaurants and offices of $12,613, $2,387 and $4,727, respectively.
Costs are recorded within impairment, closure costs, and asset disposals on the consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income. Carrying
value after the impairment charges approximates fair value.
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5. Equity Investments
December 31,
2023 2022
Equity method investments $ 8,896 $ 11,697
Other investments 45,864 32,855
Total $ 54,760 $ 44,552
As of December 31, 2023, we owned 4,325 shares of common stock of Tractor Beverages, Inc. (“Tractor”). Our investment represents ownership of
approximately 10.2% of Tractor, and we have invested total cash consideration of $10,000. As we are a significant customer of Tractor and maintain board
representation, we are accounting for our investment under the equity method. There were no impairment charges for the year ended December 31, 2023 or
2022 associated with this equity method investment. The investment in common stock is included within other assets on the consolidated balance sheets
with a carrying value of $8,896 and $11,697 as of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively. Refer to Note 13. “Related Party Transactions”
for related party disclosures.
Other Investments
As of December 31, 2023, we hold warrants (the “Tractor Warrants”) to purchase 2,162 shares of common stock of Tractor. Tractor is a privately held
company, and as such, the Tractor Warrants represent non-marketable equity securities. The investment is included within long-term investments on the
consolidated balance sheets with a carrying value of $8,675 and $10,747 as of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively.
As of December 31, 2023, we own 766 shares of the Series C Preferred Stock of Nuro, Inc. (“Nuro”). Our investment represents a minority interest
and we have determined that we do not have significant influence over Nuro. Nuro is a privately held company, and as such, the preferred shares
comprising our investment are illiquid and fair value is not readily determinable. As of December 31, 2023, we have recognized a cumulative gain of
$5,968 related to our investment in Nuro due to observable transactions in prior periods. The investment is included within long-term investments on the
consolidated balance sheets with a carrying value of $15,968 as of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively.
As of December 31, 2023, we held additional investments in other entities through the Cultivate Next Fund. These additional investments are
included within long-term investments on the consolidated balance sheets with a carrying value of $21,221 and $6,140 as of December 31, 2023 and
December 31, 2022, respectively.
6. Income Taxes
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The effective tax rate differs from the statutory tax rates as follows:
The effective tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2023, was higher than the effective tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily
due to a decrease in excess tax benefits related to option exercises and equity vesting in relation to income before taxes.
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The components of the deferred income tax assets and liabilities for continuing operations were as follows:
December 31,
2023 2022
Deferred income tax liability:
Leasehold improvements, property and equipment, net $ 272,017 $ 263,444
Goodwill and other assets 1,743 1,754
Operating lease assets 972,835 901,058
Total deferred income tax liability 1,246,595 1,166,256
Deferred income tax asset:
Gift card liability 18,101 15,893
Capitalized transaction costs 323 323
Stock-based compensation and other employee benefits 50,954 45,129
Foreign net operating loss carry-forwards 32,252 24,799
State credits 1,838 3,151
Operating lease liabilities 1,038,911 962,815
Allowances, reserves and other 12,870 15,688
Capitalized research costs 25,990 17,415
Prepaid assets and other 6,637 4,685
State net operating loss carry-forwards 4,332 4,832
Valuation allowance (34,722) (27,097)
Total deferred income tax asset 1,157,486 1,067,633
Deferred income tax liabilities $ 89,109 $ 98,623
Gross foreign net operating losses (“NOLs”) were $149,891 and $114,727 as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Our foreign NOLs can be
carried forward indefinitely.
Gross state NOLs available across all jurisdictions in which we operate were $62,492 and $73,327 as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Our state NOLs expire over varying intervals in the future.
We had gross valuation allowances against certain foreign deferred tax assets of $160,607 and $124,609 as of December 31, 2023 and 2022,
respectively. The increase in the valuation allowance was primarily due to the recording of a valuation allowance on various foreign tax attributes.
Interest expense related to uncertain tax positions is recognized in interest and other income, net on the consolidated statements of income and
comprehensive income. Penalties related to uncertain tax positions are recognized in provision for income taxes on the consolidated statements of income
and comprehensive income. For the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, we recognized $1,541, $384 and $180, respectively, in interest
expense related to uncertain tax positions. These are gross amounts before any tax benefits and are included in other liabilities on the consolidated balance
sheets. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, we have accrued interest of $2,026 and $589, respectively.
The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) commenced an examination of our U.S. income tax returns for the tax year ended December 31, 2020 in the
fourth quarter of 2022. The exam is still in progress. As of December 31, 2023, the IRS has not proposed any adjustments to our tax positions.
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Our tax returns are currently under audit by the State of Pennsylvania for the tax years ended December 31, 2019, December 31, 2020 and December
31, 2021. As of December 31, 2023, the State of Pennsylvania has not proposed any adjustments to our tax positions. For the majority of states where we
have a significant presence, we are no longer subject to tax examinations by tax authorities for tax years before 2019. Currently, we expect expirations of
statutes of limitations, excluding indemnified amounts, on reserves of approximately $481 within the next twelve months.
It is reasonably possible the amount of the unrecognized benefit with respect to certain unrecognized positions could significantly increase or
decrease within the next twelve months and would have an impact on net income.
On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which includes provisions imposing a 15% alternative
corporate minimum tax (“CAMT”), and a 1% excise tax on net stock repurchases made by publicly traded U.S. corporations, which are effective in taxable
years beginning after December 31, 2022. The CAMT does not apply to the Company and the excise tax is immaterial to our financial statements as of
December 31, 2023.
7. Shareholders’ Equity
We have had a stock repurchase program in place since 2008. As of December 31, 2023, we had $424,107 authorized for repurchasing shares of our
common stock, which includes the $200,000 additional authorization approved by our Board of Directors on December 14, 2023. Shares we repurchased
are being held in treasury stock until they are reissued or retired at the discretion of our Board of Directors.
During the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, shares of common stock at a total cost of $69,146, $98,970, and $79,870, respectively,
were netted and surrendered as payment for minimum statutory withholding obligations in connection with the vesting of outstanding stock awards. Shares
surrendered by the participants in accordance with the applicable award agreements and plan are deemed repurchased by us but are not part of publicly
announced share repurchase programs.
Pursuant to the 2022 Stock Incentive Plan, we grant stock options, SOSARs, RSUs, or PSUs to employes and non-employee directors. We issue
shares of common stock upon the exercise of stock options and SOSARs, and the vesting of RSUs and PSUs.
We also have an employee stock purchase plan (“ESPP”), Defined Contribution Plan, and a Deferred Compensation Plan.
Stock-Based Compensation
Under the 2022 Stock Incentive Plan, 2,431 shares of common stock have been authorized and reserved for issuance to eligible participants, of which
2,165 shares were authorized for issuance but not issued or subject to outstanding awards as of December 31, 2023. For purposes of calculating the
available shares remaining, each share issuable pursuant to outstanding full value awards, such as RSUs and PSUs, count as two shares, and each share
underlying a stock option or SOSAR count as one share.
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SOSARs
A summary of SOSAR activity was as follows (in thousands, except years and per share data):
Weighted-Average
Weighted-Average Remaining
Exercise Price per Contractual Life Aggregate
Shares Share (Years) Intrinsic Value
Outstanding, January 1, 2023 355 $ 1,053.84 $ 142,916
Granted 77 1,640.78
Exercised (117) 722.87
Forfeited or cancelled (20) 1,579.77
Outstanding, December 31, 2023 295 1,302.60 4.4 290,156
Exercisable, December 31, 2023 115 860.55 2.8 164,574
Vested and expected to vest, December 31, 2023 282 1,288.79 4.3 281,385
The total intrinsic value of SOSARs exercised during the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, was $142,830, $77,124, and $498,399,
respectively. Unrecognized stock-based compensation expense for SOSARs as of December 31, 2023 was $28,196 and is expected to be recognized over a
weighted-average period of 1.5 years. SOSARs expire 7 years after the day they were granted.
The weighted-average assumptions utilized in the Black-Scholes option-pricing model to estimate the fair value of SOSARs granted each year were
as follows:
The risk-free interest rate is based on U.S. Treasury rates for instruments with similar terms, and the expected life assumption is based on our
historical data. We have not paid dividends to date and do not plan to pay dividends in the near future. The volatility assumption is based on our historical
data and implied volatility.
A summary of RSU award activity was as follows (in thousands, except per share data):
Weighted-
Average Grant
Date Fair Value
Shares per Share
Outstanding, January 1, 2023 55 $ 1,396.78
Granted 37 1,666.18
Vested (23) 1,211.81
Forfeited or cancelled (9) 1,581.08
Outstanding, December 31, 2023 60 1,604.25
Vested and expected to vest, December 31, 2023 52 1,600.97
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The weighted-average grant date fair value per RSU granted during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, was $1,559.73 and $1,492.15,
respectively. Unrecognized stock-based compensation expense for non-vested RSU stock awards we have determined are probable of vesting was $33,680
as of December 31, 2023, and is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.6 years. The fair value of shares earned as of the vesting
date during the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, was $39,464, $33,959, and $73,540, respectively.
A summary of PSU award activity was as follows (in thousands, except per share data):
Weighted-
Average Grant
Date Fair Value
Shares per Share
Outstanding, January 1, 2023 69 $ 1,194.80
Granted 24 1,606.91
Vested (33) 857.00
Expired (4) 1,562.35
Outstanding, December 31, 2023 56 1,562.14
Vested and expected to vest, December 31, 2023* 114 1,557.11
*The vested and expected to vest total above represents outstanding base PSUs, adjusted for expected payout amounts in line with current and future
estimated performance levels.
The weighted-average fair value per PSU granted during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, was $1,569.39 and $1,479.55, respectively.
The unrecognized stock-based compensation expense for non-vested PSU stock awards we have determined are probable of vesting was $69,610 as of
December 31, 2023, and is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.9 years. The fair value of shares earned as of the vesting date
during the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, was $110,794, $177,293, and $97,496, respectively.
During the year ended December 31, 2023, we awarded performance share awards that are subject to service, market, and performance vesting
conditions. The quantity of shares that vest will range from 0% to 300% of the targeted number of shares based on performance factors related to restaurant
cash flow dollars earned over a three-year period beginning on January 1, 2023, and gross new restaurant openings over the same three-year period. If the
defined minimum targets are not met, then no shares will vest. Further, in no event may more than 100% of the target number of PSUs vest if our 3-year
total shareholder return is below the 25th percentile of the constituent companies comprising the S&P 500 on the day of the grant.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, we awarded performance share awards that are subject to service, market, and performance vesting
conditions. The quantity of shares that vest will range from 0% to 300% of the targeted number of shares based on performance factors related to restaurant
cash flow dollars earned over a three-year period beginning on January 1, 2022. If the defined minimum targets are not met, then no shares will vest.
Further, in no event may more than 100% of the target number of PSUs vest if our 3-year total shareholder return is below the 25th percentile of the
constituent companies comprising the S&P 500 on the day of the grant.
During the year ended December 31, 2021, we awarded performance share awards that are subject to service, market, and performance vesting
conditions. The quantity of shares that vest will range from 0% to 300% of the targeted number of shares based on performance factors related to our
growth in comparable restaurant sales and average restaurant margin over a three-year period beginning on January 1, 2021. If the defined minimum targets
are not met, then no shares will vest. Further, in no event may more than 100% of the target number of PSUs vest if our 3-year total shareholder return is
below the 25th percentile of the constituent companies comprising the S&P 500 on the day of the grant.
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On December 30, 2020, we modified the 2018 Performance Share Awards due to the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on the growth in
comparable restaurant sales and restaurant margin relative to the trajectory of both of these performance factors prior to the pandemic, and also due to the
significant shareholder value created over the performance period of the original award, the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors modified
the 2018 PSU award. This modification pertained to all seven recipients of this award, and resulted in incremental compensation expense of $71,441, of
which $7,255 was recognized during the year ended December 31, 2022, and $0 remained unamortized as of December 31, 2022. The incremental
compensation cost is calculated by multiplying the number of incremental shares generated though the modification by the stock price on the modification
date. The stock price on the modification date of December 30, 2020 was $1,374.17. To receive all incremental shares generated through the modification,
the employees had to remain employed through December 31, 2022, and the incremental shares vested in four installments over this period. The first two
installments of the modification vested during 2021, which included the vesting of 33 PSUs, and the second two installments of the modification vested
during 2022, which included the vesting of 16 PSUs. One employee terminated employment during July 2022, which resulted in the forfeiture of 1 PSU.
On July 27, 2022, we modified certain equity awards of an employee in connection with a separation agreement to allow short-term extension of
vesting of these certain equity awards that would have otherwise vested within eight months of the separation date. This modification impacted one
individual and resulted in incremental compensation expense of $6,701, which was recognized in July 2022.
We also offer an ESPP. Employees become eligible to participate in the program after one year of service with Chipotle and may contribute up to
15% of their earnings, subject to an annual maximum dollar amount. The ESPP provides a quarterly offering period to purchase our common stock at a
price of 92.5% of the lower of the fair market value on the first and last trading days of each offering period. A total of 250 shares were authorized for
issuance within the ESPP, of which 248 were available for issuance as of December 31, 2023. For the year ended December 31, 2023, the number of shares
issued were one and for the years ended December 31, 2022, and 2021, the number of shares issued each year under the ESPP were less than one.
We maintain the Chipotle Mexican Grill 401(k) Plan (“401(k) Plan”) for eligible U.S.-based employees. The 401(k) Plan allows participants to make
cash contributions from payroll deductions. Employees become eligible to receive matching contributions after one year, and at least 1,000 hours, of
service with Chipotle. We match 100% of the first 3% of pay contributed by each eligible employee and 50% on the next 2% of pay contributed each pay
period (with an annual true-up) through cash contributions. For the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, matching contributions totaled
approximately $13,821, $12,923, and $10,527, respectively and are included in general and administrative expenses and labor dependent on employee
classification on the consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income. Certain subsidiaries outside the U.S. also offer other similar benefits
and are immaterial to the consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income.
We also maintain the Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. Supplemental Deferred Investment Plan (the “Deferred Plan”) for eligible employees. The
Deferred Plan is a non-qualified plan that allows participants to make tax-deferred contributions that cannot be made under the 401(k) Plan because of
Internal Revenue Service limitations. Participants’ earnings on contributions made to the Deferred Plan fluctuate with the actual earnings and losses of a
variety of available investment choices selected by the participant. Total obligations under the Deferred Plan as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 were
$27,178 and $21,140, respectively, and are included in other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets and were fully funded as of December 31, 2023.
We match 100% of the first 3% of pay contributed by each eligible employee and 50% on the next 2% of pay contributed once the 401(k) contribution
limits are reached.
The following table summarizes estimated current and long-term material cash requirements for our deferred compensation plan as of December 31,
2023:
(1) Includes scheduled payments from our deferred compensation plan where payment dates are determinable for employed participants in accordance with
the account’s election, and the assumption that active participants will retire at the age of 65 and begin distributions from their accounts at that time. This
does not include future contributions, investment earnings, or future participants. Timing and amounts of payments may vary significantly.
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9. Leases
The weighted-average remaining lease term and discount rate were as follows:
Operating Leases
2024 $ 413,064
2025 450,092
2026 443,845
2027 436,937
2028 422,776
Thereafter 3,576,738
Total lease payments 5,743,452
Less: imputed interest 1,691,827
Operating lease liabilities (Current and Long-Term) $ 4,051,625
As of December 31, 2023, the total lease payments include $2,515,107 related to options to extend lease terms that are reasonably certain of being
exercised and exclude approximately $599,015 of legally binding lease payments for leases signed but not yet commenced and $12,737 of future sublease
income.
We have six sale and leaseback transactions, which do not qualify for sale leaseback accounting due to fixed price renewal options prohibiting sale
accounting. These transactions are accounted for under the financing method. Under the financing method, the assets remain on the consolidated balance
sheets and the proceeds from the transactions are recorded as a financing liability. A portion of lease payments are applied as payments of deemed principal
and imputed interest. The deemed landlord financing liability was $774 and $1,158 as of December 31, 2023, and 2022, respectively, with the current
portion of the liability included in accrued liabilities, and the remaining portion included in other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets.
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The following table sets forth the computations of basic and diluted earnings per share:
The following stock awards were excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per share:
Purchase Obligations
We enter into various purchase obligations in the ordinary course of business, generally of a short-term nature. Those that are binding primarily relate
to commitments for food purchases and supplies, capital projects, corporate assets, information technology, marketing initiatives and corporate
sponsorships, and other miscellaneous items.
Litigation
We are involved in various claims and legal actions, such as wage and hour, wrongful termination and other employment-related claims, slip and fall
and other personal injury claims, advertising and consumer claims, privacy claims, and lease, construction and other commercial disputes, that arise in the
ordinary course of business, some of which may be covered by insurance. The outcomes of these actions are not predictable, but we do not believe that the
ultimate resolution of any pending or threatened actions of these types will have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations,
liquidity, or capital resources. However, if there is a significant increase in the number of these claims, or if we incur greater liabilities than we currently
anticipate under one or more claims, it could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
12. Debt
As of December 31, 2023, we had a $500,000 revolving credit facility with JPMorgan Chase Bank (“JPMorgan”) as administrative agent.
Borrowings on the credit facility bear interest at a rate equal to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) plus 1.475%, which is subject to increase
due to changes in our total leverage ratio as defined in the credit agreement. We are also obligated to pay a commitment fee of 0.175% per year for unused
amounts under the credit facility, which also may increase due to changes in our total leverage ratio. Further, we are subject to certain covenants defined in
the credit agreement, which include maintaining a total leverage ratio of less than 3.0x, maintaining a consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio of greater
than 1.5x, and limiting us from incurring additional indebtedness in certain circumstances. We had no outstanding borrowings under the credit facility and
were in compliance with all covenants as of December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022.
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As of December 31, 2023, we owned approximately 10.2% of the common stock outstanding of Tractor. As we are a significant customer of Tractor
and maintain board representation, we are accounting for our investment under the equity method. Accordingly, we have identified Tractor as a related
party. We purchase product from the supplier for sale to customers in our restaurants. During the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021,
purchases from the supplier were $43,555, $37,015, and $29,400, respectively.
During the second quarter of 2023, we made an investment in the Series A preferred shares of Vebu Inc. (“Vebu”), a developer of restaurant
automation technology. As we are a significant customer of Vebu and maintain board representation, we have determined that we maintain significant
influence over Vebu. During the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, purchases from Vebu were $991, $840, and $0, respectively.
ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
None.
We maintain disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended
(the “Exchange Act”)) that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in Exchange Act reports is recorded, processed, summarized
and reported within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and
communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial and Administrative Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely
decisions regarding required disclosure.
As of December 31, 2023, we carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief
Executive Officer and Chief Financial and Administrative Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and
procedures. Based on the foregoing, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial and Administrative Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and
procedures were effective as of the end of the period covered by this annual report.
There were no changes during the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2023 in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-
15(f) under the Exchange Act) that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect our internal control over financial reporting.
The management of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting.
Our internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the
preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Our
internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail,
accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of our assets; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to
permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, and that our
receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of our management and directors; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance
regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of assets that could have a material effect on our financial
statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any
evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree
of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, based on the framework set forth by
the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission in Internal Control—Integrated Framework (the “2013 framework”). Based on
that assessment, management concluded that, as of December 31, 2023, our internal control over financial reporting was effective based on the criteria
established in the 2013 framework.
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Our independent registered public accounting firm, Ernst & Young LLP, has issued an attestation report on the effectiveness of our internal control
over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023. This report follows.
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To the Shareholders and the Board of Directors of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.
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During the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2023, one Section 16 officer adopted modified or terminated a “Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement” (as
defined in Item 408 of Regulation S-K of the Exchange Act):
Christopher Brandt, Chief Brand Officer, adopted a new trading plan on December 14, 2023 (with the first trade under the plan to occur on or after March
15, 2024). The trading plan will be effective until January 31, 2025 and provides for the exercise of a SOSAR for 4,453 shares and the sale of the net shares
if the Company’s stock price reaches a specified limit order.
The Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement complies with our Insider Trading Policy and actual transactions will be disclosed in Section 16 filings made with the
SEC in accordance with applicable securities laws, rules and regulations.
Adoption of an Executive Officer Severance Plan and Letter Agreement with the CEO
On February 6, 2024, the Compensation, People and Culture Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Committee”) approved the
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. Executive Officer Severance Plan, which was effective immediately (the “Severance Plan”). The Severance Plan provides for
severance benefits to the “executive officers” of the Company, as defined by Rule 3b-7 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the
“Participants”), if the Participant’s employment is terminated either by the Company without “cause” (excluding termination by the Company due to the
Participant’s death or disability) or due to a resignation by the Participant for “good reason” (each as defined in the Severance Plan) that in each case does
not entitle the Participant to benefits under the Company’s Change in Control Severance Plan (a “Qualifying Termination”).
Under the Severance Plan, if a Participant experiences a Qualified Termination, the Participant would be eligible to receive (i) cash severance equal
to the sum of the Participant’s base salary plus target cash bonus under the Company’s Annual Incentive Plan for the year in which the Qualifying
Termination occurs multiplied by two, in the case of the Chief Executive Officer, or one and one-half, in the case of other Participants, which cash
severance would be paid in equal installments over 24 months, for the Chief Executive Officer, and 18 months for other Participants, plus (ii) a pro-rated
portion of the Participant’s annual bonus under the Company’s Annual Incentive Plan for the year in which the Qualifying Termination occurs, based on the
Company’s actual performance, plus (iii) the cash equivalent of the employer portion of the cost of the Company group health plans in which the
Participant was participating immediately prior to the Qualifying Termination for 24 months, with respect to the Chief Executive Officer, or for 18 months,
with respect to other Participants. In addition, each Participant will vest in a pro rata portion of their unvested equity awards under the Company’s equity
compensation plans, with the performance-based equity awards vesting based on the extent of the Company’s achievement of the applicable performance-
based metrics. Any SOSARs held by the Participant would be exercisable for 12 months after the Qualifying Termination or if earlier, until the expiration
date.
A Participant’s eligibility for payments and benefits under the Severance Plan is subject to such Participant’s timely execution and nonrevocation of a
separation and general release agreement, in the form provided by the Company, which contains customary confidentiality, non-solicitation and non-
disparagement restrictions.
On February 6, 2024 the Committee also approved a letter agreement with the Company’s Chief Executive Officer providing that, if he is subject to a
Qualifying Termination under the Severance Plan, he will receive an additional 12 months of pro-rated vesting credit for any equity awards held by him on
the Qualifying Termination Date.
The foregoing description of the Severance Plan and the letter agreement with the Company’s Chief Executive Officer does not purport to be
complete and is qualified in its entirety by the full text of the Severance Plan and the letter agreement, which are filed as Exhibit 10.25 and Exhibit 10.26 to
this annual report on Form 10-K and are incorporated herein by reference.
Not applicable.
PART III
Incorporated by reference from the definitive proxy statement for our 2024 annual meeting of shareholders, which will be filed no later than 120 days
after December 31, 2023.
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Incorporated by reference from the definitive proxy statement for our 2024 annual meeting of shareholders, which will be filed no later than 120 days
after December 31, 2023.
ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER
MATTERS
Incorporated by reference from the definitive proxy statement for our 2024 annual meeting of shareholders, which will be filed no later than 120 days
after December 31, 2023.
(c)
Number of Securities
(a) (b) Remaining Available for
Number of Securities Weighted-Average Future Issuance Under
to be Issued Upon Exercise Price of Equity Compensation Plans
Exercise of Outstanding Outstanding Options and (excluding securities
Options and Rights(1) Rights(1) reflected in column (a))(2)
Equity Compensation Plans Approved by Security Holders 410,735 $ 1,302.60 2,412,349
Equity Compensation Plans Not Approved by Security Holders None N/A None
Total 410,735 $ 1,302.60 2,412,349
__________________
(1) Includes shares issuable in connection with awards with performance and market conditions, which will be issued based on achievement of performance
criteria associated with the awards, with the number of shares issuable dependent on our level of performance. The weighted-average exercise price
in column (b) includes the weighted-average exercise price of SOSARs only.
(2) Includes 2,164,565 shares remaining available under the Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. 2022 Stock Incentive Plan, and 247,784 shares remaining
available under the Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan. In addition to being available for future issuance upon exercise of
SOSARs or stock options that may be granted after December 31, 2023, all of the shares available for grant under the Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.
2022 Stock Incentive Plan, may instead be issued in the form of restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance shares or other equity-based
awards. Each share underlying a full value award such as restricted stock, restricted stock units or performance shares counts as two shares used
against the total number of securities authorized under the plan.
Additional information for this item is incorporated by reference from the definitive proxy statement for our 2024 annual meeting of shareholders,
which will be filed no later than 120 days after December 31, 2023.
ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
Incorporated by reference from the definitive proxy statement for our 2024 annual meeting of shareholders, which will be filed no later than 120 days
after December 31, 2023.
Incorporated by reference from the definitive proxy statement for our 2024 annual meeting of shareholders, which will be filed no later than 120 days
after December 31, 2023.
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PART IV
The following consolidated financial statements filed as part of this report are included in Part II, Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary
Data” of this 10-K:
Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021;
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2023 and 2022;
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021;
Consolidated Statements of Equity for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021;
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements; and
Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
No schedules are required because either the required information is not present or is not present in amounts sufficient to require submission of the
schedule, or because the information required is included in the consolidated financial statements or the notes thereto.
3. Exhibits
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(1) Portions of this exhibit have been omitted as permitted by applicable regulations.
†- Management contracts and compensatory plans or arrangements required to be filed as exhibits.
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None.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on
its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the
registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
66
Exhibit 10.10
FIRST AMENDMENT
FIRST AMENDMENT, dated as of February 1, 2023 (this “Amendment”), among Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc., a
Delaware corporation (the “Borrower”), the Lenders party hereto, and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as
administrative agent (in such capacity, the “Administrative Agent”). Capitalized terms used herein but not
otherwise defined have the meanings assigned to such terms in the Credit Agreement (as hereinafter defined).
W I T N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS, the Borrower, the several lenders from time to time party thereto prior to giving effect to this
Amendment, the other agents party thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Administrative Agent, previously
entered into that certain Revolving Credit Agreement, dated as of April 13, 2021 (the “Existing Credit
Agreement”, and as amended by this Amendment and as further amended, restated, amended and restated,
modified or supplemented from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”);
WHEREAS, existing loans, commitments and/or other extensions of credit under the Credit Agreement
denominated in Dollars incur or are permitted to incur interest, fees or other amounts based on the LIBO Rate in
accordance with the terms of the Credit Agreement as in effect prior to the First Amendment Effective Date;
WHEREAS, the Administrative Agent, the Borrower and the Required Lenders have elected to trigger an
Early Opt-In Election with respect to the Benchmark applicable to Borrowings denominated in Dollars and,
pursuant to Section 2.14(b) of the Credit Agreement, the Administrative Agent, the Borrower and the Required
Lenders have determined in accordance with the Credit Agreement that LIBO Rate should be replaced with Term
SOFR for all purposes under the Credit Agreement (the “Term SOFR Early Opt-in Election”);
WHEREAS, the Borrower has requested, and the Lenders party hereto who constitute the Required
Lenders have agreed to make certain amendments to the Existing Credit Agreement, among other things, to
provide the Term SOFR Early Opt-in Election, on and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein; and
WHEREAS, each of the undersigned hereby consents to the terms of this Amendment.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and for other good and valuable consideration (the receipt
and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged), the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:
The Borrower, the Administrative Agent and the Required Lenders hereby agree that an Early Opt-in
Election has occurred under the Credit Agreement effective as of the First Amendment Effective Date and the
applicable proposed amendment incorporating the Benchmark Replacement was posted to the Lenders on and as
of January 25, 2023.
SECTION 2.Certain Amendments to the Existing Credit Agreement To give effect to the Term SOFR
Early Opt-In Election, effective as of the First Amendment Effective Date:
(a) the Credit Agreement shall be amended, without additional consent or approval of any other Lender, to
delete the stricken text (indicated textually in the same manner as the following example: stricken text)
and to add the double-underlined text (indicated textually in the same manner as the following
example: double-underlined text) as set forth in the pages of the Credit Agreement attached as
Exhibit A hereto.
(b) Exhibit C ([Form of] Borrowing Request) to the Credit Agreement shall be amended and restated by
the [Form of] Borrowing Request attached as Exhibit B hereto.(c)Exhibit D ([Form of] Interest
Election Request) to the Credit Agreement shall be amended and restated by the [Form of] Interest
Election Request attached as Exhibit C hereto.
(c) Exhibit D ([Form of] Interest Election Request) to the Credit Agreement shall be amended and restated
by the [Form of] Interest Election Request attached as Exhibit C hereto.
SECTION 3.Representations and Warranties To induce the other parties hereto to enter into this
Amendment, the Borrower hereby represents and warrants to each other party hereto that, as of the First
Amendment Effective Date:
(a) no Default or Event of Default exists after giving effect to this Amendment; and
(b) the representations and warranties contained in Article III of the Credit Agreement are correct in all
material respects (or, to the extent subject to materiality or Material Adverse Effect qualifiers, in all respects) on and as of the
date hereof (or, if any such representation or warranty is expressly stated to have been made as of a specific date, as of such
specific date), before and after giving effect to this Amendment, as though made on and as of such date.
This Amendment shall become effective on and as of the first date (such date, the “First Amendment
Effective Date”) when each of the conditions set forth in this Section 4 shall have been satisfied:
(a) the Administrative Agent shall have received this Amendment, duly executed by the Borrower, the
Administrative Agent and Lenders constituting Required Lenders.
(b) The Administrative Agent shall have received reimbursement of its reasonable out-of-pocket expenses
in connection with the negotiation, preparation and execution of this Amendment and the transactions
contemplated hereby in accordance with Section 9.03 of the Credit Agreement.
SECTION 5 No Other Amendments; References to the Credit Agreement. Other than as specifically
provided herein or in the Credit Agreement, this Amendment shall not operate as a waiver or amendment of any
right, power or privilege of the Lenders under (and as defined in) the Existing Credit Agreement or any other Loan
Document (as such term is defined in the Existing Credit Agreement) or of any other term or condition of the
Existing Credit Agreement or any other Loan Document (as such term is defined in the Existing Credit
Agreement) nor shall the entering into of this Amendment preclude the Lenders from refusing to enter into any
further waivers or amendments with respect to the Existing Credit Agreement. Nothing in this Amendment shall
be deemed to prejudice any right or remedy that the Administrative Agent or any Lender may now have or may
have in the future under or in connection with the Credit Agreement or any other Loan Document, or any other
instrument or agreement referred to therein. All references to the Existing Credit Agreement in any document,
instrument, agreement, or writing that is a Loan Document shall from and after the First Amendment Effective
Date be deemed to refer to the Credit Agreement, and, as used in the Credit Agreement, the terms “Agreement,”
“herein,” “hereafter,” “hereunder,” “hereto” and words of similar import shall mean, from and after the First
Amendment Effective Date, the Credit Agreement. This Amendment shall be a Loan Document for all purposes
under the Credit Agreement and the other Loan Documents.
SECTION 6 Headings. The various headings of this Amendment are inserted for convenience only and
shall not affect the meaning or interpretation of this Amendment or any provisions hereof.
SECTION 7. Execution in Counterparts. This Amendment may be executed by one or more of the parties
hereto on any number of separate counterparts and all of said counterparts together shall be deemed to constitute
one and the same instrument. A counterpart hereof or a signature page hereto delivered by facsimile or electronic
transmission (such as a .pdf file) shall be effective as delivery of a manually signed, original counterpart hereof.
The parties hereby agree that the Electronic Signatures (as such term is defined in the Existing Credit Agreement)
of the parties will have the same force and effect as a manual signature.
SECTION 8. Cross-References. References in this Amendment to any section are, unless otherwise
specified or otherwise required by the context, to such section of this Amendment.
SECTION 9 Governing Law. THIS AMENDMENT AND THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF
THE PARTIES HEREUNDER SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED AND INTERPRETED
IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
SECTION 10 Reaffirmation
(a) The Borrower hereby (i) expressly acknowledges the terms of the Credit Agreement (as amended
by this Amendment), (ii) ratifies and affirms its obligations under the Loan Documents executed by the
undersigned, (iii) acknowledges, renews and extends its continued liability under all such Loan Documents and
agrees such Loan Documents remain in full force and effect and (iv) confirms this Amendment does not represent
a novation of any Loan Document.
(b) The Borrower hereby reaffirms, as of the First Amendment Effective Date, the covenants and
agreements contained in each Loan Document to which it is a party, including, in each case, such covenants and
agreements as in effect immediately after giving effect to this Amendment and the transactions contemplated
thereby.
(c) The Borrower hereby acknowledges and agrees that the acceptance by the Administrative Agent
and each applicable Lender of this document shall not be construed in any manner to establish any course of
dealing on such Person’s part, including the providing of any notice or the requesting of any acknowledgment not
otherwise expressly provided for in any Loan Document with respect to any future amendment, waiver,
supplement or other modification to any Loan Document or any arrangement contemplated by any Loan
Document.
Exhibit A
As amended pursuant to the First Amendment, dated as of February 1, 2023
REVOLVING CREDIT AGREEMENT
dated as of
among
and
___________________________
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.,
MORGAN STANLEY MUFG LOAN PARTNERS, LLC, TRUIST BANK, FIFTH THIRD BANK,
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION and CITIBANK, N.A.,
as Joint Bookrunners and Joint Lead Arrangers,
and
MORGAN STANLEY MUFG LOAN PARTNERS, LLC,
TRUIST BANK, FIFTH THIRD BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION and CITIBANK, N.A.,
as Co-Syndication Agents
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Article I Definitions 1
SECTION 1.01. Defined Terms 1
SECTION 1.02. Classification of Loans and Borrowings 30
SECTION 1.03. Terms Generally 30
SECTION 1.04. Accounting Terms; GAAP; Pro Forma Calculations
SECTION 1.05. Interest Rates; LIBORBenchmark Notification
SECTION 1.06. Letter of Credit Amounts 32
SECTION 1.07. Divisions
Article II THE CREDITS
SECTION 2.01. Commitments
SECTION 2.02. Loans and Borrowings
SECTION 2.03. Requests for Borrowings 33
SECTION 2.04. [Reserved]
SECTION 2.05. [Reserved]
SECTION 2.06. Letters of Credit
SECTION 2.07. Funding of Borrowings 38
SECTION 2.08. Interest Elections
SECTION 2.09. Termination and Reduction of Commitments
SECTION 2.10. Repayment of Loans; Evidence of Debt 40
SECTION 2.11. Prepayment of Loans
SECTION 2.12. Fees 41
SECTION 2.13. Interest
SECTION 2.14. Alternate Rate of Interest
SECTION 2.15. Increased Costs
SECTION 2.16. Break Funding Payments
SECTION 2.17. Withholding of Taxes; Gross-Up 46
SECTION 2.18. Payments Generally; Pro Rata Treatment; Sharing of Setoffs
SECTION 2.19. Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders 51
SECTION 2.20. Defaulting Lenders 52
SECTION 2.21. Exchange Rates 54
SECTION 2.22. Increase in Commitment 54
Article III REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
SECTION 3.01. Organization; Powers
SECTION 3.02. Authorization; Enforceability
SECTION 3.03. Governmental Approvals; No Conflicts 56
SECTION 3.04. Financial Condition; No Material Adverse Effect 56
SECTION 3.05. Properties
SECTION 3.06. Litigation and Environmental Matters
SECTION 3.07. Compliance with Laws and Agreements 57
SECTION 3.08. Investment Company Status 57
SECTION 3.09. Taxes 57
SECTION 3.10. ERISA 57
SECTION 3.11. Disclosure
SECTION 3.12. Anti-Corruption Laws and Sanctions 58
SECTION 3.13. Plan Assets; Prohibited Transactions 58
SECTION 3.14. [Reserved 58
SECTION 3.15. Labor Matters 58
SECTION 3.16. Subsidiaries
SECTION 3.17. Insurance
SECTION 3.18. Use of Proceeds and Letters of Credit
Article IV CONDITIONS 59
SECTION 4.01. Effective Date 59
SECTION 4.02. Each Credit Event 60
Article V AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS 61
SECTION 5.01. Financial Statements; Ratings Change and Other Information 61
SECTION 5.02. Notices of Material Events 62
SECTION 5.03. Existence; Conduct of Business 63
SECTION 5.04. Payment of Taxes 63
SECTION 5.05. [Reserved] 63
SECTION 5.06. Books and Records; Inspection Rights 63
SECTION 5.07. Compliance with Laws 64
SECTION 5.08. [Reserved] 64
SECTION 5.09. [Reserved] 64
SECTION 5.10. Additional Guarantors 64
SECTION 5.11. Line of Business 64
Article VI NEGATIVE COVENANTS 64
SECTION 6.01. Subsidiary Indebtedness
SECTION 6.02. Liens 65
SECTION 6.03. Fundamental Changes 66
SECTION 6.04. [Reserved].
SECTION 6.05. Restricted Payments
SECTION 6.06. Transactions with Affiliates 67
SECTION 6.07. Total Leverage Ratio 67
SECTION 6.08. Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio 67
SECTION 6.09. [Reserved] 67
SECTION 6.10. Sanctions 67
Article VII EVENTS OF DEFAULT
SECTION 7.01. Events of Default
SECTION 7.02. Remedies Upon an Event of Default 69
SECTION 7.03. Application of Payments 70
Article VIII THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT 71
SECTION 8.01. Authorization and Action 71
SECTION 8.02. Administrative Agent’s Reliance, Indemnification, Etc. 73
SECTION 8.03. Posting of Communications 74
SECTION 8.04. The Administrative Agent Individually 75
SECTION 8.05. Successor Administrative Agent
SECTION 8.06. Acknowledgements of Lenders and Issuing Banks 76
SECTION 8.07. Guarantee Matters
SECTION 8.08. [Reserved] 78
SECTION 8.09. Certain ERISA Matters 78
Article IX MISCELLANEOUS 79
SECTION 9.01. Notices 79
SECTION 9.02. Waivers; Amendments 80
SECTION 9.03. Expenses; Limitation of Liability; Indemnity; etc.
SECTION 9.04. Successors and Assigns
SECTION 9.05. Survival 87
SECTION 9.06. Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness; Electronic Execution 87
SECTION 9.07. Severability 88
SECTION 9.08. Right of Setoff 88
SECTION 9.09. Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Consent to Service of Process 89
SECTION 9.10. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL
SECTION 9.11. Headings 90
SECTION 9.12. Confidentiality 90
SECTION 9.13. Material Non-Public Information 91
SECTION 9.14. Interest Rate Limitation 91
SECTION 9.15. No Fiduciary Duty, etc. 91
SECTION 9.16. USA PATRIOT Act 92
SCHEDULES:
Schedule Material Subsidiaries
1.01A
Schedule Commitments
2.01A
Schedule Letter of Credit Commitments
2.01C
Schedule 3.06 Disclosed Matters
Schedule 3.16 Subsidiaries
Schedule 6.01 Existing Indebtedness
Schedule 6.02 Existing Liens
EXHIBITS:
Exhibit A Form of Guarantee Agreement
Exhibit B Form of Assignment and Assumption
Exhibit C Form of Borrowing Request
Exhibit D Form of Interest Election Request
Exhibit E [Reserved]
Exhibit F-1 U.S. Tax Certificate (For Non-U.S. Lenders that are not Partnerships for U.S. Federal Income
Tax Purposes)
Exhibit F-2 U.S. Tax Certificate (For Non-U.S. Participants that are not Partnerships for U.S. Federal
Income Tax Purposes)
U.S. Tax Certificate (For Non-U.S. Participants that are Partnerships for U.S. Federal Income
Exhibit F-3 Tax Purposes)
Exhibit F-4 U.S. Tax Certificate (For Non-U.S. Lenders that are Partnerships for U.S. Federal Income Tax
Purposes)
Exhibit G Form of Promissory Note
REVOLVING CREDIT AGREEMENT, dated as of April 13, 2021 (as amended, restated, amended
and restated, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, this “Agreement”), among Chipotle Mexican
Grill, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Borrower”), the Lenders party hereto, and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.,
as Administrative Agent.
The parties hereto agree as follows:
ARTICLE I
Definitions
SECTION 1.01.Defined Terms. As used in this Agreement, the following terms have the meanings
specified below:
“ABR”, when used in reference to any Loan or Borrowing, refers to whether such Loan, or the
Loans comprising such Borrowing, bear interest at a rate determined by reference to the Alternate Base Rate.
“Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR” means an interest rate per annum equal to (a) the Daily Simple
SOFR, plus (b) 0.10%; provided that if the Adjusted Daily Simple SOFR Rate as so determined would be less than
the Floor, such rate shall be deemed to be equal to the Floor for the purposes of this Agreement.
“Adjusted Term SOFR Rate” means, for any Term SOFR Borrowing for any Interest Period, an
interest rate per annum equal to (a) the Term SOFR Rate for such Interest Period, plus (b) 0.10%; provided that if
the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate as so determined would be less than the Floor, such rate shall be deemed to be
equal to the Floor for the purposes of this Agreement.
“Administrative Agent” means JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. in its capacity as administrative agent
for the Lenders hereunder, and any successor appointed pursuant to Section 8.05.
“Administrative Questionnaire” means an Administrative Questionnaire in a form supplied by the
Administrative Agent.
“Affected Financial Institution” means (a) any EEA Financial Institution or (b) any UK Financial
Institution.
“Affiliate” means, with respect to a specified Person, another Person that directly, or indirectly
through one or more intermediaries, Controls or is Controlled by or is under common Control with the Person
specified.
“Agent Indemnitee” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.03(c).
“Agreement” has the meaning assigned to it in the preamble hereto.
“Alternate Base Rate” means,
for any day, a rate per annum equal to the greatest of (a) the Prime Rate in effect on such day, (b)
the NYFRB Rate in effect on such day plus ½ of 1% and (c) the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate for a one month
Interest Period as published two U.S. Government Securities Business Days prior to such day (or if such day is not
a U.S. Government Securities Business Day, the immediately preceding U.S. Government Securities Business
Day) plus 1%; provided that for the purpose of this definition, the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate for any day shall be
based on the Term SOFR Reference Rate at approximately 5:00 a.m. Chicago time on such day (or any amended
publication time for the Term SOFR Reference Rate, as specified by the CME Term SOFR Administrator in the
Term SOFR Reference Rate methodology). Any change in the Alternate Base Rate due to a change in the Prime
Rate, the NYFRB Rate or the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate shall be effective from and including the effective date of
such change in the Prime Rate, the NYFRB Rate or the Adjusted Term SOFR Rate, respectively. If the Alternate
Base Rate is being used as an alternate rate of interest pursuant to Section 2.14 (for the avoidance of doubt, only
until the Benchmark Replacement has been determined pursuant to Section 2.14(b)),
then the Alternate Base Rate shall be the greater of clauses (a) and (b) above and shall be determined without
reference to clause (c) above. For the avoidance of doubt, if the Alternate Base Rate as determined pursuant to the
foregoing would be less than 1.00%, such rate shall be deemed to be 1.00% for purposes of this Agreement.
“Alternative Currency” means any currencies other than Dollars determined after the Effective
Date by mutual agreement of the Borrower, Lenders, Administrative Agent and applicable Issuing Bank; provided,
that each such currency is a lawful currency that is readily available, freely transferable and not restricted, able to
be converted into Dollars and available in the London interbank deposit market.
“Ancillary Document” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 9.06(b).
“Anti-Corruption Laws” means all laws, rules, and regulations of any jurisdiction applicable to the
Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries from time to time concerning or relating to bribery or corruption.
“Anti-Money Laundering Laws” means Laws in any jurisdiction in which any Loan Party is
located or doing business that relates to money laundering or terrorism financing, any predicate crime to money
laundering, or any financial record keeping and reporting requirements related thereto.
“Applicable Parties” has the meaning assigned to it in Section 8.03(c).
“Applicable Percentage” means, with respect to any Lender, the percentage of the total
Commitments represented by such Lender’s Commitment; provided, that in the case of Section 2.20 when a
Defaulting Lender shall exist, “Applicable Percentage” shall mean the percentage of the total Commitments
(disregarding any Defaulting Lender’s Commitment) represented by such Lender’s Commitment. If the
Commitments have terminated or expired, the Applicable Percentages shall be determined based upon the
Commitments most recently in effect, giving effect to any assignments and to any Lender’s status as a Defaulting
Lender at the time of determination.
“Applicable Rate” means, for any day, with respect to any ABR Loan or Term Benchmark
Revolving Loan, as the case may be, the applicable rate per annum set forth below under the caption “Term
Benchmark Spread” or “ABR Spread”, as the case may be, based upon the Total Leverage Ratio as set forth in the
most recent Compliance Certificate received by the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 5.01(c):
Term Benchmark ABR
Pricing Level Total Leverage Ratio Spread Spread
(iii) The Borrower and each other Loan Party hereby agrees that (x) in the event an erroneous
Payment (or portion thereof) are not recovered from any Lender or any Issuing Bank that has received such
Payment (or portion thereof) for any reason, the Administrative Agent shall be subrogated to all the rights of such
Lender or such Issuing Bank with respect to such amount and (y) an erroneous Payment shall not pay, prepay,
repay, discharge or otherwise satisfy any Obligations owed by the Borrower or any other Loan Party except, in
each case, to the extent such erroneous Payment is, and solely with respect to the amount of such erroneous
Payment that is, comprised of funds of the Borrower or any other Loan Party.
(iv) Each party’s obligations under this Section 8.06(c) shall survive the resignation or replacement
of the Administrative Agent or any transfer of rights or obligations by, or the replacement of, a Lender, an Issuing
Bank, the termination of the Commitments or the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all Obligations under any
Loan Document.
SECTION 8.07. Guarantee Matters. Except with respect to the exercise of setoff rights in
accordance with Section 9.08 or with respect to a Lender’s right to file a proof of claim in an insolvency
proceeding, no Lender shall have any right individually to enforce any Guarantee of the Obligations, it being
understood and agreed that all powers, rights and remedies under the Loan Documents may be exercised solely by
the Administrative Agent on behalf of the Lenders in accordance with the terms thereof.
SECTION 8.08. [Reserved].
SECTION 8.09. Certain ERISA Matters.
(a) Each Lender (x) represents and warrants, as of the date such Person became a
Lender party hereto, to, and (y) covenants, from the date such Person became a Lender party hereto to the date
such Person ceases being a Lender party hereto, for the benefit of, the Administrative Agent, and each Arranger
and their respective Affiliates, and not, for the avoidance of doubt, to or for the benefit of the Borrower or any
other Loan Party, that at least one of the following is and will be true:
(i) such Lender is not using “plan assets” (within the meaning of the Plan Asset
Regulations) of one or more Benefit Plans in connection with the Loans, the Letters of Credit or the
Commitments,
(ii) the transaction exemption set forth in one or more PTEs, such as PTE 84-14 (a class
exemption for certain transactions determined by independent qualified professional asset managers), PTE 95-60
(a class exemption for certain transactions involving insurance company general accounts), PTE 90-1 (a class
exemption for certain transactions involving insurance company pooled separate accounts), PTE 91-38 (a class
exemption for certain transactions involving bank collective investment funds) or PTE 96-23 (a class exemption
for certain transactions determined by in-house asset managers), is applicable with respect to such Lender’s
entrance into, participation in, administration of and performance of the Loans, the Letters of Credit, the
Commitments and this Agreement,
(iii) (A) such Lender is an investment fund managed by a “Qualified Professional Asset
Manager” (within the meaning of Part VI of PTE 84-14), (B) such Qualified Professional Asset Manager made the
investment decision on behalf of such Lender to enter into, participate in, administer and perform the Loans, the
Letters of Credit, the Commitments and this Agreement, (C) the entrance into, participation in, administration of
and performance of the Loans, the Letters of Credit, the Commitments and this Agreement satisfies the
requirements of subsections (b) through (g) of Part I of PTE 84-14 and (D) to the best knowledge of such Lender,
the requirements of subsection (a) of Part I of PTE 84-14 are satisfied with respect to such Lender’s entrance into,
participation in, administration of and performance of the Loans, the Letters of Credit, the Commitments and this
Agreement, or
(iv) such other representation, warranty and covenant as may be agreed in writing
between the Administrative Agent, in its sole discretion, and such Lender.
(b) In addition, unless subclause (i) in the immediately preceding clause (a) is true with
respect to a Lender or such Lender has provided another representation, warranty and covenant as provided in
subclause (iv) in the immediately preceding clause (a), such Lender further (x) represents and warrants, as of the
date such Person became a Lender party hereto, to, and (y) covenants, from the date such Person became a Lender
party hereto to the date such Person ceases being a Lender party hereto, for the benefit of, the Administrative
Agent, and each Arranger and their respective Affiliates, and not, for the avoidance of doubt, to or for the benefit
of the Borrower or any other Loan Party, that none of the Administrative Agent, or any Arranger, any
Documentation Agent or any of their respective Affiliates is a fiduciary with respect to the assets of such Lender
(including in connection with the reservation or exercise of any rights by the Administrative Agent under this
Agreement, any Loan Document or any documents related to hereto or thereto).
(c) The Administrative Agent, and each Arranger and Documentation Agent hereby
informs the Lenders that each such Person is not undertaking to provide investment advice or to give advice in a
fiduciary capacity, in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, and that such Person has a financial
interest in the transactions contemplated hereby in that such Person or an Affiliate thereof (i) may receive interest
or other payments with respect to the Loans, the Letters of Credit, the Commitments, this Agreement and any
other Loan Documents (ii) may recognize a gain if it extended the Loans, the Letters of Credit or the
Commitments for an amount less than the amount being paid for an interest in the Loans, the Letters of Credit or
the Commitments by such Lender or (iii) may receive fees or other payments in connection with the transactions
contemplated hereby, the Loan Documents or otherwise, including structuring fees, commitment fees, arrangement
fees, facility fees, upfront fees, underwriting fees, ticking fees, agency fees, administrative agent fees or collateral
agent fees, utilization fees, minimum usage fees, letter of credit fees, fronting fees, deal-away or alternate
transaction fees, amendment fees, processing fees, term out premiums, banker’s acceptance fees, breakage or other
early termination fees or fees similar to the foregoing.
ARTICLE IX
Miscellaneous
SECTION 9.01. Notices.
(a) Except in the case of notices and other communications expressly permitted to be
given by telephone (and subject to clause (b) below), all notices and other communications provided for herein
shall be in writing and shall be delivered by hand or overnight courier service, mailed by certified or registered
mail or sent by fax or electronic mail, as follows:
(i) if to the Borrower, to the Borrower at:
(iii) if to an Issuing Bank, to it at, in the case of JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.:
(iv) if to any other Lender, to it at its address (or fax number or electronic mail address) set forth in
its Administrative Questionnaire.
Notices sent by hand or overnight courier service, or mailed by certified or registered mail, shall be
deemed to have been given when received; notices sent by facsimile shall be deemed to have been given when
sent (except that, if not given during normal business hours for the recipient, shall be deemed to have been given
at the opening of business on the next Business Day for the recipient). Notices delivered through Approved
Electronic Platforms, to the extent provided in clause (b) below, shall be effective as provided in said clause (b).
(b) Notices and other communications to the Lenders and the Issuing Banks hereunder
may be delivered or furnished by using Approved Electronic Platforms pursuant to procedures approved by the
Administrative Agent; provided, that the foregoing shall not apply to notices pursuant to Article II unless
otherwise agreed by the Administrative Agent and the applicable Lender. The Administrative Agent or the
Borrower may, in its discretion, agree to accept notices and other communications to it hereunder by electronic
communications pursuant to procedures approved by it; provided, that approval of such procedures may be limited
to particular notices or communications.
(c) Unless the Administrative Agent otherwise prescribes, (i) notices and other
communications sent to an e-mail address shall be deemed received upon the sender’s receipt of an
acknowledgement from the intended recipient (such as by the “return receipt requested” function, as available,
return e-mail or other written acknowledgement), and (ii) notices or communications posted to an Internet or
intranet website shall be deemed received upon the deemed receipt by the intended recipient, at its e-mail address
as described in the foregoing clause (i), of notification that such notice or communication is available and
identifying the website address therefor; provided, that for both clauses (i) and (ii) above, if such notice, email or
other communication is not sent during the normal business hours of the recipient, such notice or communication
shall be deemed to have been sent at the opening of business on the next Business Day for the recipient.
(d) Any party hereto may change its address or fax number for notices and other
communications hereunder by notice to the other parties hereto.
SECTION 9.02. Waivers; Amendments.
(a) No failure or delay by the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender in
exercising any right or power hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise
of any such right or power, or any abandonment or discontinuance of steps to enforce such a right or power,
preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right or power. The rights and remedies
of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks and the Lenders hereunder are cumulative and are not exclusive of
any rights or remedies that they would otherwise have. No waiver of any provision of this Agreement or consent
to any departure by the Borrower therefrom shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be permitted by
clause (b) of this Section, and then such waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for
the purpose for which given. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the making of a Loan or issuance of
a Letter of Credit shall not be construed as a waiver of any Default, regardless of whether the Administrative
Agent, any Lender or any Issuing Bank may have had notice or knowledge of such Default at the time.
(b) Subject to Section 2.14(b) and Section 9.02(c) below, neither this Agreement nor
any provision hereof may be waived, amended or modified except pursuant to an agreement or agreements in
writing entered into by the Borrower and the Required Lenders or by the Borrower and the Administrative Agent
with the consent of the Required Lenders; provided, that no such agreement shall (i) increase the Commitment of
any Lender without the written consent of such Lender, (ii) reduce the principal amount of any Loan or LC
Disbursement or reduce the rate of interest thereon (other than interest accruing pursuant to Section 2.13(d) or a
waiver thereof), or reduce any fees payable hereunder, without the written consent of each Lender affected
thereby; provided that any modification, waiver or amendment to the financial covenant definitions or financial
ratios or any component thereof or the waiver of any other covenant shall not constitute an reduction of interest or
fees payable hereunder, (iii) postpone the scheduled date of payment of the principal amount of any Loan or LC
Disbursement, or any interest thereon (other than interest accruing pursuant to Section 2.13(d) or a
waiver thereof), or any fees payable hereunder, or reduce the amount of, waive or excuse any such payment, or
postpone the scheduled date of expiration of any Commitment, without the written consent of each Lender
affected thereby, (iv) change Section 2.09(c) or 2.18(b) or (c) in a manner that would alter the ratable reduction of
Commitments or the pro rata sharing of payments required thereby, without the written consent of each Lender, (v)
change the payment waterfall provisions of Section 2.20(b) or 7.03 without the written consent of each Lender,
(vi) change any of the provisions of this Section or the definition of “Required Lenders” or any other provision
hereof specifying the number or percentage of Lenders required to waive, amend or modify any rights hereunder
or make any determination or grant any consent hereunder, without the written consent of each Lender or (vii)
release all or substantially all of the Guarantors from their obligations under the Guarantee Agreement (other than
pursuant to Section 9.19 hereof), in each case, without the written consent of each Lender; provided, further, that
no such agreement shall amend, modify or otherwise affect the rights or duties of the Administrative Agent or the
Issuing Banks hereunder without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent or the Issuing Banks, as the
case may be; and provided, further, that no such agreement shall amend or modify the provisions of Section 2.06
without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent and the Issuing Banks. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, no consent with respect to any amendment, waiver or other modification of this Agreement shall be
required of any Defaulting Lender, except with respect to any amendment, waiver or other modification referred to
in clause (i), (ii) or (iii) of the first proviso of this clause (b) and then only in the event such Defaulting Lender
shall be affected by such amendment, waiver or other modification.
(c) If the Administrative Agent and the Borrower acting together identify any
ambiguity, omission, mistake, inconsistency, typographical error or other defect in any provision of this
Agreement or any other Loan Document, then the Administrative Agent and the Borrower shall be permitted to
amend, modify or supplement such provision to cure such ambiguity, omission, mistake, inconsistency,
typographical error or other defect, and such amendment shall become effective without any further action or
consent of any other party to this Agreement.
SECTION 9.03. Expenses; Limitation of Liability; Indemnity; etc..
(a) Expenses. The Borrower shall pay (i) all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket
expenses incurred by the Administrative Agent and its Affiliates, which shall be limited, in the case of legal fees
and expenses, to the reasonable and documented fees, disbursements and other charges of one primary counsel,
and, if reasonably necessary, one local counsel in each relevant jurisdiction, to such persons, taken as a whole
(and, solely in the case of an actual or potential conflict of interest where any person affected by such conflict
informs the Borrower of such conflict and thereafter retains its own counsel, one additional counsel for each
affected person, taken as a whole, and one additional local counsel for such affected person, taken as a whole, in
each relevant material jurisdiction (which may include a single firm of local counsel acting in multiple
jurisdictions)), in connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein, the preparation and
administration of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents or any amendments, modifications or waivers of
the provisions hereof or thereof, (ii) all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses incurred by any
Issuing Bank in connection with the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit or any
demand for payment thereunder and (iii) all reasonable and documented out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the
Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender, including the fees, charges and disbursements of one
counsel for the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender, taken as a whole, and, if reasonably
necessary, of a single local counsel and any specialist counsel in each relevant material jurisdiction and in the case
of an actual or potential conflict of interest where any person affected by such conflict informs the Borrower of
such conflict and thereafter retains its own counsel, of another primary counsel per applicable material jurisdiction
for such affected person taken as a whole) in connection with the enforcement or protection of its rights in
connection with this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, including its rights under this Section, or in
connection with the Loans made or Letters of Credit issued hereunder, including all such out-of-pocket expenses
incurred during any workout, restructuring or negotiations in respect of such Loans or Letters of Credit.
(b) Indemnity. The Borrower shall indemnify the Administrative Agent, each Arranger,
each Issuing Bank and each Lender, and each Related Party of any of the foregoing Persons (each such Person
being called an “Indemnitee”) against, and hold each Indemnitee harmless from, any and all Liabilities and related
expenses, including expenses for any Indemnitee, which shall be limited, in the case of legal fees and expenses, to
the reasonable and documented out-of-pocket fees, disbursements and other charges of one primary counsel, and
one local counsel in each applicable jurisdiction, for the Administrative Agent, and not more than one outside
counsel, and if reasonably necessary, one local counsel in each applicable jurisdiction, for all of the other
Indemnitees taken as a whole (and, solely in the case of an actual or potential conflict of interest where any person
affected by such conflict informs the Borrower of such conflict and thereafter retains its own counsel, one
additional counsel for each affected Indemnitee and one additional local counsel in each relevant material
jurisdiction (which may include a single firm of local counsel acting in multiple jurisdictions)), incurred by or
asserted against any Indemnitee by any third party or by the Borrower or any other Loan Party arising out of or in
connection with (i) the execution or delivery of this Agreement, any other Loan Document, or any agreement or
instrument contemplated hereby or thereby, the performance by the parties hereto of their respective obligations
hereunder or thereunder or the consummation of the Transactions or any other transactions contemplated hereby,
(ii) any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use of the proceeds therefrom (including any refusal by an Issuing Bank to
honor a demand for payment under a Letter of Credit if the documents presented in connection with such demand
do not strictly comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit) or (iii) any actual or prospective claim, litigation,
investigation, arbitration or proceeding relating to any of the foregoing, whether or not such claim, litigation,
investigation, arbitration or proceeding is brought by the Borrower or any other Loan Party or its or their
respective equity holders, Affiliates, creditors or any other third-party and whether based on contract, tort or any
other theory and regardless of whether any Indemnitee is a party thereto; provided, that the foregoing indemnity
will not, as to any Indemnitee, apply to losses, claims, damages, liabilities or related expenses to the extent they
arise from (i) the willful misconduct, bad faith or gross negligence of such Indemnitee (or its Related Parties) as
determined in a final, non-appealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction, (ii) the breach in bad faith of
an Indemnitee’s funding obligations or any other material breach of its (or its Related Parties’) obligations
hereunder or any other Loan Document, as determined in a final, non-appealable judgment of a court of competent
jurisdiction or (iii) any disputes brought by an Indemnitee against any other Indemnitee that do not involve an act
or omission by the Borrower, its Subsidiaries or any of their respective Affiliates (other than any claims against an
Indemnitee in its capacity as the Administrative Agent or an Arranger). This Section 9.03(b) shall not apply with
respect to Taxes other than any Taxes that represent losses, claims or damages arising from any non-Tax claim.
(c) Lender Reimbursement. Each Lender severally agrees to pay any amount required
to be paid by the Borrower under clause (a) or (b) of this Section 9.03 to the Administrative Agent and each
Issuing Bank, and each Related Party of any of the foregoing Persons (each, an “Agent Indemnitee”) (to the extent
not reimbursed by the Borrower and without limiting the obligation of the Borrower to do so), ratably according to
their respective Applicable Percentage in effect on the date on which indemnification is sought under this Section
(or, if indemnification is sought after the date upon which the Commitments shall have terminated and the Loans
shall have been paid in full, ratably in accordance with such Applicable Percentage immediately prior to such
date), from and against any and all Liabilities and related expenses, including the fees, charges and disbursements
of any kind whatsoever that may at any time (whether before or after the payment of the Loans) be imposed on,
incurred by or asserted against such Agent Indemnitee in any way relating to or arising out of the Commitments,
this Agreement, any of the other Loan Documents or any documents contemplated by or referred to herein or
therein or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby or any action taken or omitted by such Agent
Indemnitee under or in connection with any of the foregoing; provided, that the unreimbursed expense or Liability
or related expense, as the case may be, was incurred by or asserted against such Agent Indemnitee in its capacity
as such; provided, further, that no Lender shall be liable for the payment of any portion of such Liabilities, costs,
expenses or disbursements that are found by a final and nonappealable decision of a court of competent
jurisdiction to have resulted from such Agent Indemnitee’s gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct. The
agreements in this Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement and the payment of the Loans and all
other amounts payable hereunder.
(d) Limitation of Liability. To the extent permitted by applicable law (i) the Borrower
shall not assert, and the Borrower hereby waives, any claim against the Administrative Agent, any Arranger, any
Documentation Agent, any Issuing Bank and any Lender, and any Related Party of any of the foregoing Persons
(each such Person being called a “Lender-Related Person”) for any Liabilities arising from the use by others of
information or other materials obtained through telecommunications, electronic or other information transmission
systems (including an Approved Electronic Platform or otherwise via the Internet) other than Liabilities that are
determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and non-appealable judgment to have resulted from the
gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct of such Lender-Related Person (it being understood that all
information and materials so transmitted shall continue to be subject to the confidentiality provisions set forth
herein and in the Approved Electronic Platform), and (ii) no party hereto shall assert, and each such party hereby
waives, any Liabilities against any other party hereto, on any theory of liability, for special, indirect, exemplary,
consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages) arising out of, in connection with, or
as a result of, this Agreement, any other Loan Document, or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby or
thereby, the Transactions, any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use of the proceeds thereof; provided, that nothing in
this clause (d)(ii) shall relieve the Borrower of any obligation they may have to indemnify an Indemnitee, as
provided in this Section 9.03, against special, indirect, exemplary, consequential or punitive damages asserted
against such Indemnitee by a third party.
(e) All amounts due under this Section 9.03 shall be payable promptly after written
demand therefor (together with reasonable documentation supporting such reimbursement request).
SECTION 9.04.Successors and Assigns.
(a) The provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of
the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby (including any Affiliate of an
Issuing Bank that issues any Letter of Credit), except that (i) the Borrower may not assign or otherwise transfer
any of its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of each Lender (and any attempted
assignment or transfer by the Borrower without such consent shall be null and void), (ii) no Lender may assign or
otherwise transfer its rights or obligations hereunder except in accordance with this Section and (iii) as provided
by the terms of this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement, expressed or implied, shall be construed to confer
upon any Person (other than the parties hereto, their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby (including
any Affiliate of an Issuing Bank that issues any Letter of Credit), Participants (to the extent provided in clause (c)
of this Section) and, to the extent expressly contemplated hereby, the Related Parties of each of the Administrative
Agent, the Issuing Banks and the Lenders) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this
Agreement.
(b) (i) Subject to the conditions set forth in clause (b)(ii) below, any Lender may assign
to one or more Persons (other than an Ineligible Institution) all or a portion of its rights and obligations under this
Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment, participations in Letters of Credit and the Loans at the
time owing to it) with the prior written consent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) of:
(A) the Borrower; provided, that the Borrower shall be deemed to have consented to an
assignment of all or a portion of the Revolving Loans and Commitments unless the Borrower shall have objected
thereto by written notice to the Administrative Agent within ten (10) Business Days after having received notice
thereof; provided, that no consent of the Borrower shall be required for an assignment to a Lender, an Affiliate of a
Lender, an Approved Fund or, if an Event of Default under Sections 7.01(h) or 7.01(i) with respect to the
Borrower has occurred and is continuing, any other assignee;
(B) the Administrative Agent; provided, that no consent of the Administrative Agent
shall be required for an assignment of any Commitment to an assignee that is a Lender (other than a Defaulting
Lender) with a Commitment immediately prior to giving effect to such assignment; and
(C) each Issuing Bank.
(ii) Assignments shall be subject to the following additional conditions:
(A) except in the case of an assignment to a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender or an
assignment of the entire remaining amount of the assigning Lender’s Commitment or Loans of any Class, the
amount of the Commitment or Loans of the assigning Lender subject to each such assignment (determined as of
the date the Assignment and Assumption with respect to such assignment is delivered to the Administrative
Agent) shall not be less than $5,000,000 unless each of the Borrower and the Administrative Agent otherwise
consent; provided, that no such consent of the Borrower shall be required if an Event of Default under Sections
7.01(h) or 7.01(i) with respect to the Borrower has occurred and is continuing;
(B) each partial assignment shall be made as an assignment of a proportionate part of
all the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement; provided, that this clause shall not be
construed to prohibit the assignment of a proportionate part of all the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations in
respect of one Class of Commitments or Loans;
(C) the parties to each assignment shall execute and deliver to the Administrative
Agent (x) an Assignment and Assumption or (y) to the extent applicable, an agreement incorporating an
Assignment and Assumption by reference pursuant to an Approved Electronic Platform as to which the
Administrative Agent and the parties to the Assignment and Assumption are participants, together with a
processing and recordation fee of $3,500; and
(D) the assignee, if it shall not be a Lender, shall deliver to the Administrative Agent an
Administrative Questionnaire in which the assignee designates one or more credit contacts to whom all syndicate-
level information (which may contain material non-public information about the Borrower, the Loan Parties and
their Related Parties or their respective securities) will be made available and who may receive such information
in accordance with the assignee’s compliance procedures and applicable laws, including Federal and state
securities laws.
For the purposes of this Section 9.04(b), the terms “Approved Fund” and “Ineligible Institution”
have the following meanings:
“Approved Fund” means any Person (other than a natural person) that is engaged in making,
purchasing, holding or investing in bank loans and similar extensions of credit in the ordinary course of its
business and that is administered or managed by (a) a Lender, (b) an Affiliate of a Lender or (c) an entity or an
Affiliate of an entity that administers or manages a Lender.
“Ineligible Institution” means (a) a natural person, (b) a Defaulting Lender or its Lender Parent, (c)
a company, investment vehicle or trust for, or owned and operated for the primary benefit of, a natural person or
relative(s) thereof or (d) the Borrower or any of their Affiliates; provided, that with respect to clause (c), such
company, investment vehicle or trust shall not constitute an Ineligible Institution if it (x) has not been established
for the primary purpose of acquiring any Loans or Commitments, (y) is managed by a professional advisor, who is
not such natural person or a relative thereof, having significant experience in the business of making or purchasing
commercial loans, and (z) has assets greater than $25,000,000 and a significant part of its activities consist of
making or purchasing commercial loans and similar extensions of credit in the ordinary course of its business.
(iii) Subject to acceptance and recording thereof pursuant to clause (b)(iv) of this
Section, from and after the effective date specified in each Assignment and Assumption the assignee thereunder
shall be a party hereto and, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, have the
rights and obligations of a Lender under this Agreement, and the assigning Lender thereunder shall, to the extent
of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, be released from its obligations under this
Agreement (and, in the case of an Assignment and Assumption covering all of the assigning Lender’s rights and
obligations under this Agreement, such Lender shall cease to be a party hereto but shall continue to be entitled to
the benefits of Sections 2.15, 2.16, 2.17 and 9.03). Any assignment or transfer by a Lender of rights or obligations
under this Agreement that does not comply with this Section shall be treated for purposes of this Agreement as a
sale by such Lender of a participation in such rights and obligations in accordance with clause (c) of this Section.
(iv) The Administrative Agent, acting for this purpose as a non-fiduciary agent of the
Borrower, shall maintain at one of its offices a copy of each Assignment and Assumption delivered to it and a
register for the recordation of the names and addresses of the Lenders, and the Commitment of, and principal
amount (and stated interest) of the Loans and LC Disbursements owing to, each Lender pursuant to the terms
hereof from time to time (the “Register”). The entries in the Register shall be conclusive absent manifest error, and
the Borrower, the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks and the Lenders shall treat each Person whose name is
recorded in the Register pursuant to the terms hereof as a Lender hereunder for all purposes of this Agreement,
notwithstanding notice to the contrary. The Register shall be available for inspection by the Borrower, any Issuing
Bank and any Lender, at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice.
(v) Upon its receipt of (x) a duly completed Assignment and Assumption executed by
an assigning Lender and an assignee or (y) to the extent applicable, an agreement incorporating an Assignment
and Assumption by reference pursuant to an Approved Electronic Platform as to which the Administrative Agent
and the parties to the Assignment and Assumption are participants, the assignee’s completed Administrative
Questionnaire (unless the assignee shall already be a Lender hereunder), the processing and recordation fee
referred to in clause (b) of this Section and any written consent to such assignment required by clause (b) of this
Section, the Administrative Agent shall accept such Assignment and Assumption and record the information
contained therein in the Register; provided, that if either the assigning Lender or the assignee shall have failed to
make any payment required to be made by it pursuant to Sections 2.06(d) or (e), 2.07(b), 2.18(d) or 9.03(c), the
Administrative Agent shall have no obligation to accept such Assignment and Assumption and record the
information therein in the Register unless and until such payment shall have been made in full, together with all
accrued interest thereon. No assignment shall be effective for purposes of this Agreement unless it has been
recorded in the Register as provided in this clause.
(c) Any Lender may, without the consent of, or notice to, the Borrower, the
Administrative Agent or the Issuing Banks, sell participations to one or more banks or other entities (a
“Participant”), other than an Ineligible Institution, in all or a portion of such Lender’s rights and/or obligations
under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and/or the Loans owing to it); provided, that
(A) such Lender’s obligations under this Agreement shall remain unchanged; (B) such Lender shall remain solely
responsible to the other parties hereto for the performance of such obligations; and (C) the Borrower, the
Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks and the other Lenders shall continue to deal solely and directly with such
Lender in connection with such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement. Any agreement or
instrument pursuant to which
a Lender sells such a participation shall provide that such Lender shall retain the sole right to enforce this
Agreement and to approve any amendment, modification or waiver of any provision of this Agreement; provided,
that such agreement or instrument may provide that such Lender will not, without the consent of the Participant,
agree to any amendment, modification or waiver described in the first proviso to Section 9.02(b) that affects such
Participant. The Borrower agree that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of Sections 2.15, 2.16 and
2.17 (subject to the requirements and limitations therein, including the requirements under Sections 2.17(f) (it
being understood that the documentation required under Section 2.17(f) shall be delivered to the participating
Lender and the information)) to the same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment
pursuant to clause (b) of this Section; provided, that such Participant (A) agrees to be subject to the provisions of
Section 2.19 as if it were an assignee under clause (b) of this Section; and (B) shall not be entitled to receive any
greater payment under Section 2.15 or 2.17, with respect to any participation, than its participating Lender would
have been entitled to receive, except to the extent such entitlement to receive a greater payment results from a
Change in Law that occurs after the Participant acquired the applicable participation. Each Lender that sells a
participation agrees, at the Borrower’s request and expense, to use reasonable efforts to cooperate with the
Borrower to effectuate the provisions of Section 2.19(b) with respect to any Participant. To the extent permitted by
law, each Participant also shall be entitled to the benefits of Section 9.08 as though it were a Lender; provided, that
such Participant agrees to be subject to Section 2.18(c) as though it were a Lender. Each Lender that sells a
participation shall, acting solely for this purpose as a non-fiduciary agent of the Borrower, maintain a register on
which it enters the name and address of each Participant and the principal amounts (and stated interest) of each
Participant’s interest in the Loans or other obligations under the Loan Documents (the “Participant Register”);
provided, that no Lender shall have any obligation to disclose all or any portion of the Participant Register
(including the identity of any Participant or any information relating to a Participant’s interest in any
Commitments, Loans, Letters of Credit or its other obligations under any Loan Document) to any Person except to
the extent that such disclosure is necessary to establish that such Commitment, Loan, Letter of Credit or other
obligation is in registered form under Section 5f.103-1(c) of the United States Treasury Regulations. The entries in
the Participant Register shall be conclusive absent manifest error, and such Lender shall treat each Person whose
name is recorded in the Participant Register as the owner of such participation for all purposes of this Agreement
notwithstanding any notice to the contrary. For the avoidance of doubt, the Administrative Agent (in its capacity
as Administrative Agent) shall have no responsibility for maintaining a Participant Register.
(d) Any Lender may at any time pledge or assign a security interest in all or any portion
of its rights under this Agreement to secure obligations of such Lender, including any pledge or assignment to
secure obligations to a Federal Reserve Bank, and this Section shall not apply to any such pledge or assignment of
a security interest; provided, that no such pledge or assignment of a security interest shall release a Lender from
any of its obligations hereunder or substitute any such pledgee or assignee for such Lender as a party hereto.
SECTION 9.05.Survival. All covenants, agreements, representations and warranties made by the
Borrower herein and in the other Loan Documents and in the certificates or other instruments delivered in
connection with or pursuant to this Agreement or any other Loan Documents shall be considered to have been
relied upon by the other parties hereto and shall survive the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the
making of any Loans and issuance of any Letters of Credit, regardless of any investigation made by any such other
party or on its behalf and notwithstanding that the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender may
have had notice or knowledge of any Default or incorrect representation or warranty at the time any credit is
extended hereunder, and shall continue in full force and effect as long as the principal of or any accrued interest on
any Loan or any fee or any other amount payable under this Agreement is outstanding and unpaid or any Letter of
Credit is outstanding and so long as the Commitments have not expired or been terminated. The provisions of
Sections 2.15, 2.16, 2.17 and 9.03 and Article VIII shall survive and remain in full force and effect regardless of
the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, the repayment of the Loans, the expiration or
termination of the Letters of Credit and the Commitments or the termination of this Agreement or any provision
hereof.
SECTION 9.06.Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness; Electronic Execution. (a) This Agreement
may be executed in counterparts (and by different parties hereto on different counterparts), each of
which shall constitute an original, but all of which when taken together shall constitute a single contract. This
Agreement, the other Loan Documents and any separate letter agreements with respect to (i) fees payable to the
Administrative Agent and (ii) the reductions of the Letter of Credit Commitment of any Issuing Bank constitute
the entire contract among the parties relating to the subject matter hereof and supersede any and all previous
agreements and understandings, oral or written, relating to the subject matter hereof. Except as provided in
Section 4.01, this Agreement shall become effective when it shall have been executed by the Administrative Agent
and when the Administrative Agent shall have received counterparts hereof which, when taken together, bear the
signatures of each of the other parties hereto, and thereafter shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the
parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns.
(b) Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of (x) this Agreement, (y)
any other Loan Document and/or (z) any document, amendment, approval, consent, information, notice
(including, for the avoidance of doubt, any notice delivered pursuant to Section 9.01), certificate, request,
statement, disclosure or authorization related to this Agreement, any other Loan Document and/or transactions
contemplated hereby and/or thereby (each an “Ancillary Document”) that is an Electronic Signature transmitted
by telecopy, emailed pdf. or any other electronic means that reproduces an image of the actual executed signature
page shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Agreement, such other Loan
Document or such Ancillary Document, as applicable.. The words “execution,” “signed,” “signature,” “delivery,”
and words of like import in or relating to this Agreement, any other Loan Document and/or any Ancillary
Document shall be deemed to include Electronic Signatures, deliveries or the keeping of records in electronic form
(including deliveries by telecopy, emailed pdf. or any other electronic means that reproduces an image of an actual
executed signature page), each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually
executed signature, physical delivery thereof or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case may
be; provided that nothing herein shall require the Administrative Agent to accept Electronic Signatures in any
form or format without its prior written consent and pursuant to procedures approved by it; provided further,
without limiting the foregoing, (i) to the extent the Administrative Agent has agreed to accept any Electronic
Signature, the Administrative Agent and each of the Lenders shall be entitled to rely on such Electronic Signature
purportedly given by or on behalf of the Borrower or any other Loan Party without further verification thereof and
without any obligation to review the appearance or form of any such Electronic Signature and (ii) upon the request
of the Administrative Agent or any Lender, any Electronic Signature shall be promptly followed by a manually
executed counterpart. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the parties hereto, as applicable, hereby (i)
agree that, for all purposes, including without limitation, in connection with any workout, restructuring,
enforcement of remedies, bankruptcy proceedings or litigation among the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and
the Loan Parties, Electronic Signatures transmitted by telecopy, emailed pdf. or any other electronic means that
reproduces an image of an actual executed signature page and/or any electronic images of this Agreement, any
other Loan Document and/or any Ancillary Document shall have the same legal effect, validity, and enforceability
as any paper original, (ii) agree that the Administrative Agent and each of the Lenders may, at its option, create
one or more copies of this Agreement, any other Loan Document and/or any Ancillary Document in the form of an
imaged electronic record in any format, which shall be deemed created in the ordinary course of such Person’s
business, and destroy the original paper document (and all such electronic records shall be considered an original
for all purposes and shall have the same legal effect, validity and enforceability as a paper record), (iii) waive any
argument, defense or right to contest the legal effect, validity or enforceability of this Agreement, any other Loan
Document and/or any Ancillary Document based solely on the lack of paper original copies of this Agreement,
such other Loan Document and/or such Ancillary Document, respectively, including with respect to any signature
pages thereto and (iv) waive any claim against any Lender-Related Person for any Liabilities arising solely from
the Administrative Agent’s and/or any Lender’s reliance on or use of Electronic Signatures and/or transmissions
by telecopy, emailed pdf. or any other electronic means that reproduces an image of an actual executed signature
page, including any Liabilities arising as a result of the failure of the Borrower to use any available security
measures in connection with the execution, delivery or transmission of any Electronic Signature.
SECTION 9.07.Severability. Any provision of this Agreement held to be invalid, illegal or
unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such invalidity,
illegality or unenforceability without affecting the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions
hereof; and the invalidity of a particular provision in a particular jurisdiction shall not invalidate such provision in
any other jurisdiction.
SECTION 9.08.Right of Setoff. If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, each
Lender, each Issuing Bank, and each of their respective Affiliates is hereby authorized at any time and from time
to time, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to setoff and apply any and all deposits (general or special, time or
demand, provisional or final) at any time held, and other obligations at any time owing, by such Lender, such
Issuing Bank or any such Affiliate, to or for the credit or the account of the Borrower against any and all of the
obligations of the Borrower now or hereafter existing under this Agreement or any other Loan Document to such
Lender or such Issuing Bank or their respective Affiliates, irrespective of whether or not such Lender, Issuing
Bank or Affiliate shall have made any demand under this Agreement or any other Loan Document and although
such obligations of the Borrower may be contingent or unmatured or are owed to a branch office or Affiliate of
such Lender or such Issuing Bank different from the branch office or Affiliate holding such deposit or obligated on
such indebtedness; provided, that in the event that any Defaulting Lender shall exercise any such right of setoff,
(x) all amounts so setoff shall be paid over immediately to the Administrative Agent for further application in
accordance with the provisions of Section 2.20 and, pending such payment, shall be segregated by such Defaulting
Lender from its other funds and deemed held in trust for the benefit of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing
Banks, and the Lenders, and (y) the Defaulting Lender shall provide promptly to the Administrative Agent a
statement describing in reasonable detail the Obligations owing to such Defaulting Lender as to which it exercised
such right of setoff. The rights of each Lender, each Issuing Bank and their respective Affiliates under this Section
are in addition to other rights and remedies (including other rights of setoff) that such Lender, such Issuing Bank
or their respective Affiliates may have. Each Lender and Issuing Bank agrees to notify the Borrower and the
Administrative Agent promptly after any such setoff and application; provided, that the failure to give such notice
shall not affect the validity of such setoff and application.
SECTION 9.09.Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Consent to Service of Process.
(a) This Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall be construed in accordance
with and governed by the law of the State of New York.
(b) Each of the Lenders and the Administrative Agent hereby irrevocably and
unconditionally agrees that, notwithstanding the governing law provisions of any applicable Loan Document, any
claims brought against the Administrative Agent by any Lender relating to this Agreement, any other Loan
Document or the consummation or administration of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby shall be
construed in accordance with and governed by the law of the State of New York.
(c) Each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally submits, for itself
and its property, to the exclusive jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New
York sitting in the Borough of Manhattan (or if such court lacks subject matter jurisdiction, the Supreme Court of
the State of New York sitting in the Borough of Manhattan), and any appellate court from any thereof, in any
action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or the transactions
relating hereto or thereto, or for recognition or enforcement of any judgment, and each of the parties hereto hereby
irrevocably and unconditionally agrees that all claims in respect of any such action or proceeding may (and any
such claims, cross-claims or third party claims brought against the Administrative Agent or any of its Related
Parties may only) be heard and determined in such Federal (to the extent permitted by law) or New York State
court. Each of the parties hereto agrees that a final judgment in any such action or proceeding shall be conclusive
and may be enforced in other jurisdictions by suit on the judgment or in any other manner provided by law.
Nothing in this Agreement or in any other Loan Document shall affect any right that the Administrative Agent,
any Issuing Bank or any Lender may otherwise have to bring any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement
against the Borrower, any Loan Party or its properties in the courts of any jurisdiction.
(d) Each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waives, to the
fullest extent it may legally and effectively do so, any objection which it may now or hereafter have to the laying
of
venue of any suit, action or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document in
any court referred to in clause (c) of this Section. Each of the parties hereto hereby irrevocably waives, to the
fullest extent permitted by law, the defense of an inconvenient forum to the maintenance of such action or
proceeding in any such court.
(e) Each party to this Agreement irrevocably consents to service of process in the
manner provided for notices in Section 9.01. Nothing in this Agreement will affect the right of any party to this
Agreement to serve process in any other manner permitted by law.
SECTION 09.10. WAIVER OF JURY TRIAL. EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY WAIVES,
TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A
TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF
OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY
(WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER THEORY). EACH PARTY HERETO
(A) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PARTY
HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PARTY WOULD NOT,
IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER AND
(B) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT AND THE OTHER PARTIES HERETO HAVE BEEN INDUCED TO
ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND
CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION.
SECTION 9.11.Headings. Article and Section headings and the Table of Contents used herein are
for convenience of reference only, are not part of this Agreement and shall not affect the construction of, or be
taken into consideration in interpreting, this Agreement.
SECTION 9.12.Confidentiality. Each of the Administrative Agent, the Issuing Banks and the
Lenders agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the Information (as defined below), except that Information may
be disclosed (a) to its and its Affiliates, officers, directors, employees, legal counsel, independent auditors,
professionals and other experts or agents (collectively, “Representatives”) on a “need-to-know” basis and who are
informed of the confidential nature of such Information and agree to keep Information of this type confidential on
terms similar to those contained herein (provided that such Administrative Agent, Issuing Bank or Lender shall be
responsible for the compliance of their Representatives, Affiliates and Representatives of its Affiliates with this
section), (b) upon the request or demand of any Governmental Authority having jurisdiction over the
Administrative Agent, Issuing Bank or Lender or any of their Affiliates or upon the good faith determination by
counsel that such information should be disclosed in light of ongoing oversight or review of such Administrative
Agent, Issuing Bank or Lender by any such Governmental Authority having jurisdiction over such Administrative
Agent, Issuing Bank or Lender or its Affiliates (in which case the Administrative Agent, Issuing Bank or Lender
shall, except with respect to any ordinary course audit or examination conducted by accountants or any regulatory
authority exercising examination or regulatory authority, promptly notify you, in advance, to the extent lawfully
permitted to do so), (c) in any legal, judicial, or administrative proceeding or other compulsory process or
otherwise as required by applicable law, rule or regulations or as requested by a Governmental Authority (in which
case the Administrative Agent, Issuing Bank or Lender shall, except with respect to any routine or ordinary course
audit or examination conducted by accountants or any regulatory authority exercising examination or regulatory
authority, promptly notify you, in advance, to the extent lawfully permitted to do so), (d) to any other party to this
Agreement, (e) in connection with the exercise of any remedies hereunder or under any other Loan Document or
any suit, action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or the enforcement of rights hereunder or under any other
Loan Document, (f) subject to an agreement containing provisions substantially the same as those of this Section,
to (i) any assignee of or Participant in, or any prospective assignee of or Participant in, any of its rights or
obligations under this Agreement or (ii) any actual or prospective counterparty (or its advisors) to any swap or
derivative transaction relating to the Borrower and their obligations, (g) on a confidential basis to (1) subject to the
Borrower’s prior approval of the Information proposed to be disclosed any rating agency in connection with rating
the Borrower or its Subsidiaries or the credit facilities provided for herein or (2) the CUSIP Service Bureau or any
similar agency in connection with the issuance and monitoring of identification numbers
with respect to the credit facilities provided for herein, (h) with the consent of the Borrower or (i) to the extent
such Information (i) becomes publicly available other than as a result of a breach of this Section or (ii) becomes
available to the Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender on a non-confidential basis from a source
other than the Borrower. For the purposes of this Section, “Information” means all information received from the
Borrower relating to the Borrower or their business, other than any such information that is available to the
Administrative Agent, any Issuing Bank or any Lender on a non-confidential basis prior to disclosure by the
Borrower and other than information pertaining to this Agreement routinely provided by arrangers to data service
providers, including league table providers, that serve the lending industry. Any Person required to maintain the
confidentiality of Information as provided in this Section shall be considered to have complied with its obligation
to do so if such Person has exercised the same degree of care to maintain the confidentiality of such Information as
such Person would accord to its own confidential information.
SECTION 9.13.Material Non-Public Information.
(a) EACH LENDER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT INFORMATION AS DEFINED IN
SECTION 9.12 FURNISHED TO IT PURSUANT TO THIS AGREEMENT MAY INCLUDE MATERIAL
NON-PUBLIC INFORMATION CONCERNING THE BORROWER AND ITS RELATED PARTIES OR
ITS SECURITIES, AND CONFIRMS THAT IT HAS DEVELOPED COMPLIANCE PROCEDURES
REGARDING THE USE OF MATERIAL NON-PUBLIC INFORMATION AND THAT IT WILL
HANDLE SUCH MATERIAL NON-PUBLIC INFORMATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THOSE
PROCEDURES AND APPLICABLE LAW, INCLUDING FEDERAL AND STATE SECURITIES LAWS.
(b) ALL INFORMATION, INCLUDING REQUESTS FOR WAIVERS AND
AMENDMENTS, FURNISHED BY THE BORROWER OR THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
PURSUANT TO, OR IN THE COURSE OF ADMINISTERING, THIS AGREEMENT WILL BE
SYNDICATE-LEVEL INFORMATION, WHICH MAY CONTAIN MATERIAL NON-PUBLIC
INFORMATION ABOUT THE BORROWER, THE OTHER LOAN PARTIES AND THEIR RELATED
PARTIES OR THEIR RESPECTIVE SECURITIES. ACCORDINGLY, EACH LENDER REPRESENTS
TO THE BORROWER AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT THAT IT HAS IDENTIFIED IN ITS
ADMINISTRATIVE QUESTIONNAIRE A CREDIT CONTACT WHO MAY RECEIVE INFORMATION
THAT MAY CONTAIN MATERIAL NON-PUBLIC INFORMATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS
COMPLIANCE PROCEDURES AND APPLICABLE LAW.
SECTION 9.14.Interest Rate Limitation. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if at any
time the interest rate applicable to any Loan, together with all fees, charges and other amounts which are treated as
interest on such Loan under applicable law (collectively the “Charges”), shall exceed the maximum lawful rate
(the “Maximum Rate”) which may be contracted for, charged, taken, received or reserved by the Lender holding
such Loan in accordance with applicable law, the rate of interest payable in respect of such Loan hereunder,
together with all Charges payable in respect thereof, shall be limited to the Maximum Rate and, to the extent
lawful, the interest and Charges that would have been payable in respect of such Loan but were not payable as a
result of the operation of this Section shall be cumulated and the interest and Charges payable to such Lender in
respect of other Loans or periods shall be increased (but not above the Maximum Rate therefor) until such
cumulated amount, together with interest thereon at the NYFRB Rate to the date of repayment, shall have been
received by such Lender.
SECTION 9.15.No Fiduciary Duty, etc.
(a) The Borrower acknowledge and agree, and acknowledges its Subsidiaries’
understanding, that no Credit Party will have any obligations except those obligations expressly set forth herein
and in the other Loan Documents and each Credit Party is acting solely in the capacity of an arm’s length
contractual counterparty to the Borrower with respect to the Loan Documents and the transactions contemplated
herein and therein and not as a financial advisor or a fiduciary to, or an agent of, the Borrower or any other person.
The Borrower agree that they will not assert any claim against any Credit Party based on an alleged breach of
fiduciary duty by such
Credit Party in connection with this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby. Additionally, the
Borrower acknowledge and agree that no Credit Party is advising the Borrower as to any legal, tax, investment,
accounting, regulatory or any other matters in any jurisdiction. The Borrower shall consult with their own advisors
concerning such matters and shall be responsible for making its own independent investigation and appraisal of
the transactions contemplated herein or in the other Loan Documents, and the Credit Parties shall have no
responsibility or liability to the Borrower with respect thereto.
(b) The Borrower further acknowledges and agrees, and acknowledges its Subsidiaries’
understanding, that each Credit Party, together with its Affiliates, is a full service securities or banking firm
engaged in securities trading and brokerage activities as well as providing investment banking and other financial
services. In the ordinary course of business, any Credit Party may provide investment banking and other financial
services to, and/or acquire, hold or sell, for its own accounts and the accounts of customers, equity, debt and other
securities and financial instruments (including bank loans and other obligations) of, the Borrower and other
companies with which the Borrower may have commercial or other relationships. With respect to any securities
and/or financial instruments so held by any Credit Party or any of its customers, all rights in respect of such
securities and financial instruments, including any voting rights, will be exercised by the holder of the rights, in its
sole discretion.
(c) In addition, the Borrower acknowledges and agrees, and acknowledges its
Subsidiaries’ understanding, that each Credit Party and its affiliates may be providing debt financing, equity
capital or other services (including financial advisory services) to other companies in respect of which the
Borrower may have conflicting interests regarding the transactions described herein and otherwise. No Credit
Party will use confidential information obtained from the Borrower by virtue of the transactions contemplated by
the Loan Documents or its other relationships with the Borrower in connection with the performance by such
Credit Party of services for other companies, and no Credit Party will furnish any such information to other
companies. The Borrower also acknowledge that no Credit Party has any obligation to use in connection with the
transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents, or to furnish to the Borrower, confidential information
obtained from other companies.
SECTION 9.16.USA PATRIOT Act. Each Lender that is subject to the requirements of the USA
PATRIOT Act of 2001 (the “Patriot Act”) hereby notifies the Borrower that pursuant to the requirements of the
Patriot Act, it is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies the Borrower, which information
includes the name and address of the Borrower and other information that will allow such Lender to identify the
Borrower in accordance with the Patriot Act.
SECTION 9.17.Acknowledgement and Consent to Bail-In of Affected Financial Institutions
. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any Loan Document or in any other agreement,
arrangement or understanding among any such parties, each party hereto acknowledges that any liability of any
Affected Financial Institution arising under any Loan Document may be subject to the Write-Down and
Conversion Powers of the applicable Resolution Authority and agrees and consents to, and acknowledges and
agrees to be bound by:
(a) the application of any Write-Down and Conversion Powers by the applicable
Resolution Authority to any such liabilities arising hereunder which may be payable to it by any party hereto that
is an Affected Financial Institution; and
(b) the effects of any Bail-In Action on any such liability, including, if applicable:
(i) a reduction in full or in part or cancellation of any such liability;
(ii) a conversion of all, or a portion of, such liability into shares or other instruments of
ownership in such Affected Financial Institution, its parent entity, or a bridge institution that may be issued to it or
otherwise conferred on it, and that such shares or other instruments of ownership will be accepted by it in lieu of
any rights with respect to any such liability under this Agreement or any other Loan Document; or
(iii) the variation of the terms of such liability in connection with the exercise of the
Write-Down and Conversion Powers of the applicable Resolution Authority.
SECTION 9.18.Acknowledgement Regarding Any Supported QFCs. To the extent that the Loan
Documents provide support, through a guarantee or otherwise, for Swap Agreements or any other agreement or
instrument that is a QFC (such support “QFC Credit Support” and each such QFC a “Supported QFC”), the
parties acknowledge and agree as follows with respect to the resolution power of the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation under the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and
Consumer Protection Act (together with the regulations promulgated thereunder, the “U.S. Special Resolution
Regimes”) in respect of such Supported QFC and QFC Credit Support (with the provisions below applicable
notwithstanding that the Loan Documents and any Supported QFC may in fact be stated to be governed by the
laws of the State of New York and/or of the United States or any other state of the United States):
In the event a Covered Entity that is party to a Supported QFC (each, a “Covered Party”) becomes
subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer of such Supported QFC and the
benefit of such QFC Credit Support (and any interest and obligation in or under such Supported QFC and such
QFC Credit Support, and any rights in property securing such Supported QFC or such QFC Credit Support) from
such Covered Party will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special
Resolution Regime if the Supported QFC and such QFC Credit Support (and any such interest, obligation and
rights in property) were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States. In the event a
Covered Party or a BHC Act Affiliate of a Covered Party becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special
Resolution Regime, Default Rights under the Loan Documents that might otherwise apply to such Supported QFC
or any QFC Credit Support that may be exercised against such Covered Party are permitted to be exercised to no
greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if the
Supported QFC and the Loan Documents were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United
States. Without limitation of the foregoing, it is understood and agreed that rights and remedies of the parties with
respect to a Defaulting Lender shall in no event affect the rights of any Covered Party with respect to a Supported
QFC or any QFC Credit Support.
SECTION 9.19.Releases of Guarantees.
(a) A Guarantor shall automatically be released and discharged in full from its
obligations under the Guarantee Agreement upon the consummation of any transaction permitted by this
Agreement as a result of which such Guarantor ceases to be a Subsidiary. In connection with any termination or
release pursuant to this Section, the Administrative Agent shall (and is hereby irrevocably authorized by each
Lender to) execute and deliver to any Loan Party, at such Loan Party’s expense, all documents that such Loan
Party shall reasonably request to evidence such termination or release. Any execution and delivery of documents
pursuant to this Section shall be without recourse to or warranty by the Administrative Agent.
(b) Further, the Administrative Agent may (and is hereby irrevocably authorized by
each Lender to), upon the request of the Borrower, release any Guarantor from its obligations under the Guaranty
if, as of the time such Guarantor is released and immediately after giving effect thereto, the Guaranty of such
Guarantor is not required by Section 5.10.
(c) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein or in any other Loan
Document, the Administrative Agent is hereby irrevocably authorized by each Lender (without requirement of
notice to or consent of any Lender except as expressly required by Section 9.02) to take any action requested by
the Borrower having the effect of releasing any guarantee obligations (i) to the extent necessary to permit
consummation of any transaction not prohibited by any Loan Document or that has been consented to in
accordance with Section 9.02, or (ii) under the circumstances described in clause (c) below.
(d) At such time as the Loans, the reimbursement obligations in respect of LC
Disbursements and the other obligations under the Loan Documents shall have been paid in full, the Commitments
have been terminated and no Letters of Credit shall be outstanding (or any Letters of Credit that are outstanding
shall have
been cash collateralized or backstopped in a manner reasonably acceptable to the Issuing Bank thereof), the
Guarantees and all obligations (other than those expressly stated to survive such termination) of the
Administrative Agent and each Loan Party under the Guarantee Agreement shall automatically terminate, all
without delivery of any instrument or performance of any act by any Person.
[Remainder of Page Left Intentionally Blank]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed
and delivered by their respective authorized officers as of the day and year first above written.
CHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL,
INC.,
as the Borrower
By
Name:
Title:
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK,
N.A.,
individually and as
Administrative Agent
By
Name:
Title:
[ ],
By
Name:
Title:
SCHEDULE 2.01A
Commitments
Lender Commitment
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. $75,000,000.00
Truist Bank $75,000,000.00
Fifth Third Bank, National Association $75,000,000.00
Citibank, N.A. $75,000,000.00
Bank of America, N.A. $50,000,000.00
Morgan Stanley Bank, N.A. $37,500,000.00
MUFG Union Bank, N.A $37,500,000.00
Royal Bank of Canada $37,500,000.00
Wells Fargo Bank, National Association $37,500,000.00
Total: $500,000,000.00
Schedule 2.01C
This Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. Executive Officer Severance Plan (the “Plan”) was established by
the Company on February 6, 2024 (the “Effective Date”) to provide Participants with the opportunity to
receive certain severance protections for qualifying terminations of employment that are not in connection
with a change in control of the Company. The Plan, as set forth herein, is primarily intended to help retain
qualified executives, maintain a stable work environment and provide economic security to eligible
executives in the event of qualifying terminations of employment. Capitalized terms used but not otherwise
defined herein have the meanings set forth in ARTICLE II.
The Plan is intended is intended to be “a plan which is unfunded and maintained by an employer
primarily for the purpose of providing deferred compensation for a select group of management or highly
compensation employees,” within the meaning of Sections 201(2), 301(a)(3) and 401(a)(1) of ERISA.
ARTICLE II
DEFINITIONS
“Accrued Compensation” means: (i) Base Salary accrued by the Participant through, but not paid
to the Participant as of, the Qualifying Termination Date and (ii) any annual bonus under the Annual
Incentive Plan earned by the Participant for a prior year but not paid to the Participant as of the Qualifying
Termination Date.
“Administrator” means the Compensation Committee, provided that the Board in its discretion
may determine to act as Administrator under the Plan.
“Annual Incentive Plan” means the Company’s annual cash incentive bonus program.
“Base Salary” means the Participant’s annual base salary as in effect immediately prior to the
Qualifying Termination Date or, if higher, as in effect immediately prior to the occurrence of an event or
circumstance constituting Good Reason.
“Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.
“Cause” shall have the same meaning as such term is defined under the Incentive Plan, unless
otherwise provided in a Participant’s effective employment agreement or other similar written agreement
with respect to the termination of Participant’s employment with the Company.
“Chief Executive Officer” means the Chief Executive Officer of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.
“COBRA” means the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, as amended.
“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. Any reference to a section of the
Code shall be deemed to include a reference to any regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Company” means Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and, except as the context
otherwise requires, its affiliates and Subsidiaries and any successor by merger, acquisition, consolidation or
otherwise that assumes the obligations of the Company under the Plan.
“Compensation Committee” means the Compensation, People and Culture Committee of the
Board.
“Effective Date” has the meaning set forth in ARTICLE I.
“ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended.
“Exchange Act” means the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
“Excise Tax” means any excise tax imposed under Section 4999 of the Code.
“Good Reason” shall have the same meaning as such term is defined under the Incentive Plan,
unless otherwise provided in a Participant’s effective employment agreement or other similar written
agreement with respect to the termination of Participant’s employment with the Company.
“Incentive Plan” shall mean the Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. 2022 Stock Incentive Plan or any
successor plan.
“Option” means an option to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock, $0.01 par value per
share, including stock appreciation rights that settle in shares of the Company’s common stock.
“Other Severance” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.02.
“Participant” means each individual who is an “executive officer” of the Company, within the
meaning of Rule 3b-7 under the Exchange Act, as determined immediately prior to the individual’s
termination of employment with the Company without respect to any demotion or other action that
constitutes “Good Reason,” or as otherwise determined by the Administrator.
“Qualifying Termination Date” means the date on which a Participant incurs a Qualifying
Termination.
“Release Agreement” means the Separation and General Release Agreement provided by the
Company substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A.
“Section 409A” means Section 409A of the Code and the rules other guidance promulgated
thereunder.
“Severance Amount” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.01(a).
“Severance Multiple” means (i) two (2) with respect to the Chief Executive Officer and (ii) one and
one-half (1.5) with respect to each other Participant.
“Severance Period” means (i) twenty-four (24) months with respect to the Chief Executive Officer
and (ii) eighteen (18) months with respect to each other Participant.
“Subsidiary” means any “subsidiary” within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended.
“Target Annual Bonus” means, with respect to any Participant, such Participant’s annual target
bonus opportunity under the Annual Incentive Plan in effect immediately prior to such Participant’s
Qualifying Termination Date (or, in the event of the Participant’s resignation for Good Reason, the annual
target bonus opportunity in effect immediately prior to the condition giving rise to such resignation if such
annual target bonus opportunity is higher than the annual target bonus opportunity in effect immediately
prior to such Participant’s Qualifying Termination Date).
“Total Payments” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.01.
ARTICLE III
SEVERANCE
Section 3.01 Severance Following Qualifying Termination.
(a) Severance Amount. If a Participant incurs a Qualifying Termination, then, subject to the
Participant’s execution and nonrevocation of the Release Agreement, the Company shall provide the
Participant with an amount equal to the product of the Severance Multiple and the sum of the Participant’s
(i) Base Salary and (ii) Target Annual Bonus (the “Severance Amount”). Subject to Section 8.13, the
Severance Amount shall be paid in substantially equal installments over the Severance Period, payable in
accordance with the Company’s normal payroll practices, and shall commence on the first regularly
scheduled payroll date that occurs immediately following the sixtieth (60th) day following the Qualifying
Termination Date (such date, the “Payment Commencement Date”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the
portion of the severance amount provided under this Section 3.01 that is payable on the Payment
Commencement Date shall include a lump-sum amount equal to the portion of the severance amount that
would have been payable commencing on the Qualifying Termination Date and ending on the Payment
Commencement Date.
(b) Pro-Rated Bonus. If a Participant incurs a Qualifying Termination, then, subject to the
Participant’s execution and nonrevocation of the Release Agreement, the Company shall provide the
Participant with an amount equal to the pro-rated portion of the Participant’s annual bonus under the Annual
Incentive Plan, based on actual performance for the year in which the Qualifying Termination Date occurs
and prorated based on the number of days the Participant was employed during the year of termination prior
to the Qualifying Termination Date divided by the total number of days in such year, paid in a single lump
sum no later than March 15th of the year immediately following the year in which the Qualifying
Termination Date occurs.
(c) Payment in Lieu of Benefits Continuation. If a Participant incurs a Qualifying
Termination, then, subject to the Participant’s execution and nonrevocation of the Release Agreement, in lieu
of a contribution by the Company to, or a reimbursement to Participant for, any coverage premiums and any
other expenses payable by Participant during the Participant’s Severance Period under all group health plans
maintained by the Company in which Participant and Participant’s spouse and other dependents were
participating immediately prior to the Qualifying Termination Date, the Company shall pay to Participant an
amount equal to the employer portion of the cost of such coverage premiums and
expenses otherwise payable during the Severance Period, which payment shall be taxable as wages to the
Participant. Such amount shall be paid to Participant in a single lump sum on the Payment Commencement
Date. Following the Qualifying Termination Date, (i) Participant shall not be entitled to participate in any
Company employee benefit plans, other than to receive COBRA or similar continuation coverage as
required by law and to receive any vested benefits under Company retirement plans, or as provided under the
terms of an applicable Company employee benefit plan or as required by applicable law and (ii) Participant
shall not be entitled to reimbursement for fringe benefits, including without limitation, dues and expenses
related to club memberships, automobile expenses, expenses for professional services and other similar
perquisites incurred on or after the Qualifying Termination Date.
(d) Accrued Compensation. The Company shall pay the Accrued Compensation to each
Participant who incurs a Qualifying Termination as soon as practicable following the Qualifying Termination
Date, but in any event before the earlier to occur of (y) the payment date required by applicable law and (z)
March 15th immediately following the year in which the Qualifying Termination Date occurs. In addition,
each Participant who incurs a Qualifying Termination will receive any unpaid reimbursable business
expenses incurred by the Participant prior to the Qualifying Termination Date in accordance with the
Company’s policies, paid in accordance with such policies, and any benefits accrued by Executive or in
which Executive has vested under any of the Company’s retirement benefit plans, paid or provided in
accordance with the terms of such benefit plans.
Section 3.02 Other Severance Payments. In the event that the Company is obligated by law or
contract to pay a Participant other severance pay, a termination indemnity, notice pay, or similar payments or
benefits, or if the Company is obligated by law to provide advance notice of separation and the Participant
continues to receive payments and benefit during such notice period (“Other Severance”), then the
Severance Amount otherwise payable to such Participant shall be reduced by the amount of any such Other
Severance actually paid to the Participant (but not below zero).
Section 3.03 Coordination of Benefits. If a Participant becomes eligible to receive severance
payments and benefits under the Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. Change in Control Severance Plan, then the
Participant shall not be eligible to receive the Severance Amount, or any other payments or benefits
provided for under this Plan. Notwithstanding anything set forth herein to the contrary, to the extent that any
severance payable under a plan or agreement covering a Participant as of the date such Participant becomes
eligible to participate in this Plan constitutes deferred compensation under Section 409A, then to the extent
required to avoid accelerated taxation and/or tax penalties under Section 409A, the portion of the benefits
payable hereunder equal to such other amount shall instead be provided in the form set forth in such other
plan or agreement.
ARTICLE IV
EQUITY AWARDS
Section 4.01 Equity Awards.
(a) Vesting: Time-Based Awards. In the event that a Participant incurs a Qualifying
Termination, then, subject to the Participant’s execution and nonrevocation of the Release Agreement, each
then-outstanding, unvested Company equity award granted to such Participant under the Incentive Plan that
vests solely with respect to continued employment (“Time-Based Awards”) shall vest and become
exercisable on the Qualifying Termination Date in a pro-rated amount based on the portion of the vesting
period prior to the Qualifying Termination Date, which is calculated as the number of days from
the grant date of the applicable Time-Based Award through and including the Qualifying Termination Date
divided by the total number of days in the applicable vesting period.
(b) Vesting: Performance-Based Awards. In the event that a Participant incurs a Qualifying
Termination, then, subject to the Participant’s execution and nonrevocation of the Release Agreement, each
then-outstanding, unvested Company equity award granted to such Participant under the Incentive Plan that
vests at least in part based on the achievement of performance-based metrics (“Performance-Based
Awards”) shall remain outstanding and vest and become exercisable, or be forfeited, based on actual
performance at the end of the applicable performance period, in a pro-rated amount based on the number of
days from the first day of the performance period of the applicable Performance-Based Award through and
including the Qualifying Termination Date divided by the number of days in the applicable performance
period.
(c) Option Exercise Period. In the event that a Participant incurs a Qualifying Termination,
then, subject to the Participant’s execution and nonrevocation of the Release Agreement, each then-
outstanding Option granted to such Participant under the Incentive Plan that is either already vested and
exercisable immediately prior to the Qualifying Termination Date or that vests and becomes exercisable in
accordance with Section 4.01(a) or Section 4.01(b) shall, once vested and exercisable, continue to be
exercisable and shall expire on the earlier to occur of (i) the first (1st) anniversary of the Qualifying
Termination Date (or, in the case of Options that constitute Performance-Based Awards that vest in
accordance with Section 4.01(b), the first (1st) anniversary of the last day of the applicable performance
period) and (ii) the expiration date of such Option.
(d) Forfeiture. Each then-outstanding equity award held by a Participant that is unvested on
the Participant’s Qualifying Termination Date and that does not time-vest in accordance with the Time-
Based Vesting Schedule shall be forfeited as of the Qualifying Termination Date and, with respect to
Performance-Based Awards that do not fully vest in accordance with Section 4.01(b), such Performance-
Based Awards shall be deemed to have been forfeited upon the end of the applicable performance period
once performance has been determined.
(e) Settlement of Awards. Time-Based Awards shall be settled in accordance with the
Incentive Plan and the applicable award agreement but no later than sixty (60) days following the applicable
vesting date and Performance-Based Awards shall be settled in accordance with the terms of the Incentive
Plan and the applicable award agreement but no later than March 15th following the end of the applicable
performance period. Notwithstanding anything in this Section 4.01 to the contrary, if all or a portion of an
Company equity award subject to accelerated vesting under the terms of this Section 4.01 constitutes
deferred compensation under Section 409A, then to the extent required to avoid accelerated taxation and/or
tax penalties under Section 409A, such awards shall vest at the time(s) provided in this Section 4.01, but
settlement, distribution or payment, as the case may be, shall be made on the earliest possible date that
would not subject such awards to taxation and/or tax penalties under Section 409A.
ARTICLE V
SECTION 280G
Section 5.01 Treatment of Payments. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan to
the contrary, in the event that any payment or benefit received or to be received by the Participant (whether
pursuant to the terms of the Plan or any other plan, arrangement or agreement) (all such payments and
benefits, including the severance benefits payable hereunder, being hereinafter referred to as the “Total
Payments”) would be subject (in whole or part), to the Excise Tax, then, after taking into account any
reduction in the Total Payments provided by reason of Section 280G of the Code in such other plan,
arrangement or agreement, the severance benefits payable hereunder shall be reduced to the extent necessary
so that no portion of the Total Payments is subject to the Excise Tax but only if (a) the net amount of such
Total Payments, as so reduced (and after subtracting the net amount of federal, state and local income taxes
on such reduced Total Payments and after taking into account the phase out of itemized deductions and
personal exemptions attributable to such reduced Total Payments) is greater than or equal to (b) the net
amount of such Total Payments without such reduction (but after subtracting the net amount of federal, state
and local income taxes on such Total Payments and the amount of Excise Tax to which the Participant would
be subject in respect of such unreduced Total Payments and after taking into account the phase out of
itemized deductions and personal exemptions attributable to such unreduced Total Payments).
Section 5.02 Ordering of Reduction. In the case of a reduction in the Total Payments
pursuant to Section 5.01, the Total Payments shall be reduced in the following order: (i) payments that are
payable in cash the full amount of which are treated as parachute payments under Treasury Regulation
Section 1.280G-1, Q&A 24(a) shall be reduced (if necessary, to zero), with amounts that are payable last
reduced first; (ii) payments and benefits due in respect of any equity the full amount of which are treated as
parachute payments under Treasury Regulation Section 1.280G-1, Q&A 24(a), with the highest values
reduced first (as such values are determined under Treasury Regulation Section 1.280G-1, Q&A 24) shall
next be reduced; (iii) payments that are payable in cash that are valued at less than full value under Treasury
Regulation Section 1.280G-1, Q&A 24, with amounts that are payable last reduced first, shall next be
reduced; (iv) payments and benefits due in respect of any equity valued at less than full value under Treasury
Regulation Section 1.280G-1, Q&A 24, with the highest values reduced first (as such values are determined
under Treasury Regulation Section 1.280G-1, Q&A 24) shall next be reduced; and (v) all other non-cash
benefits not otherwise described in clauses (ii) or (iv) shall be next reduced pro-rata.
Section 5.03 Additional Payments. If the Participant receives reduced payments and
benefits by reason of this ARTICLE V, and it is established pursuant to a determination of a court of
competent jurisdiction which is not subject to review or as to which the time to appeal has expired, or
pursuant to an Internal Revenue Service proceeding, that the Participant could have received a greater
amount without resulting in any Excise Tax, then the Company shall thereafter pay the Participant the
aggregate additional amount which could have been paid without resulting in any Excise Tax as soon as
reasonably practicable.
ARTICLE VI
CLAIMS PROCEDURES
Section 6.01 Initial Claims. A Participant who believes that the Participant is entitled to a
payment under the Plan that has not been received may submit a written claim for benefits to the Plan within
one hundred and twenty (120) days after the Participant’s Qualifying Termination Date. Claims should be
addressed and sent to:
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.
610 Newport Center Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Attention: Corporate Secretary
If the Participant’s claim is denied, in whole or in part, the Participant shall be furnished with
written notice of the denial within ninety (90) days after the Administrator’s receipt of the Participant’s
written claim, unless special circumstances require an extension of time for processing the claim, in which
case a period not to exceed one hundred and eighty (180) days shall apply. If such an extension of time is
required, written notice of the extension shall be furnished to the Participant before the termination of the
initial ninety (90)-day period and shall describe the special circumstances requiring the extension, and the
date on which a decision is expected to be rendered. If written notice of denial of the claim for benefits is
not furnished within the specified time, the claim shall be deemed to be denied. The Participant shall then
be permitted to appeal the denial in accordance with Section 6.02 below. Written notice of the denial of the
Participant’s claim shall contain the following information:
(a) the specific reason or reasons for the denial of the Participant’s claim;
(b) references to the specific Plan provisions on which the denial of the Participant’s claim was
based;
(a) Upon receipt of the denied claim, the Participant (or the Participant’s authorized
representative) may file a request for review of the claim in writing with the Administrator. This request for
review must be filed no later than sixty (60) days after the Participant has received written notification of the
denial (or no later than sixty (60) days after the claim is deemed denied).
(b) The Participant has the right to submit in writing to the Administrator any comments,
documents, records or other information relating to the Participant’s claim for benefits.
(c) The Participant has the right to be provided with, upon request and free of charge,
reasonable access to and copies of all pertinent documents, records and other information that is relevant to
the Participant’s claim for benefits.
(d) A request for review must set forth all of the grounds on which it is based, all facts in
support of the request and any other matters that the Participant feels are pertinent.
(e) The review of the denied claim shall take into account all comments, documents, records
and other information that the Participant submitted relating to the Participant’s claim, without regard to
whether such information was submitted or considered in the initial denial of the Participant’s claim.
(f) The Administrator may require the Participant to submit additional facts, documents or
other material as the Administrator may find necessary or appropriate in making the Administrator’s review.
Section 6.03 Administrator’s Response to Appeal. The Administrator shall provide the
Participant with written notice of its decision within sixty (60) days after the Administrator’s receipt of the
Participant’s written claim for review. There may be special circumstances which require an extension of
this sixty (60)-day period. In any such case, the Administrator shall notify the Participant in writing within
the sixty (60)-day period and the final decision shall be made no later than one hundred and twenty (120)
days after the Administrator’s receipt of the Participant’s written claim for review. This notice of extension
shall describe the special circumstances necessitating the additional time and the date by which the
Administrator is to render the Administrator’s decision on review. The Administrator’s decision on the
Participant’s claim for review shall take into account all comments, documents, records and other
information submitted by the applicant relating to the claim, without regard to whether such information was
submitted or considered in the initial benefit determination, shall be communicated to the Participant in
writing and shall clearly state:
(a) the specific reason or reasons for the denial of the Participant’s claim;
(b) reference to the specific Plan provisions on which the denial of the Participant’s claim is
based;
(c) a statement that the Participant is entitled to receive, upon request and free of charge,
reasonable access to, and copies of, the Plan and all documents, records and other information relevant to the
Participant’s claim for benefits; and
(d) a statement describing the Participant’s right to bring a civil action under Section 502(a) of
ERISA.
Any notices and decisions by the Administrator under this Section 6.03 may be furnished
electronically in accordance with Department of Labor Regulation 2520.104b-1(c)(1).
(b) in any such legal action, all explicit and implicit determinations by the Administrator
(including, but not limited to, determinations as to whether the claim, or a request for a review of a denied
claim, was timely filed) shall be afforded the maximum deference permitted by law.
Section 6.05 Arbitration. No Participant may bring any legal action to recover benefits
under the Plan until the Participant has exhausted the internal administrative claims and appeals process
described above. No legal action may be commenced at all, unless commenced no later than one year
following the issuance of a final decision on the claim for benefits, or the expiration of the appeal decision
period if no decision is issued. This one-year statute of limitations on suits for all benefits available under
the Plan shall apply in any forum where such legal action is initiated. Upon Participant’s exhaustion of the
provisions set forth above, any Participant with a continuing dispute arising out of or relating to this Plan or
the adoption, breach, termination or validity thereof, will be settled by binding arbitration by a single
arbitrator in accordance with the commercial arbitration rules of the American Arbitration Association. The
arbitration proceedings will be located in Newport Beach, California. The arbitrator is not empowered to
award damages in excess of compensatory damages and no party shall be entitled to any damages in excess
of compensatory damages. Judgment upon any arbitration award may be entered into any court having
jurisdiction thereof and the parties consent to the jurisdiction of any court of competent jurisdiction located
in the State of California. BY PARTICIPATING IN THIS PLAN, PARTICIPANT WAIVES ANY
RIGHT THAT PARTICIPANT MAY HAVE TO A JURY TRIAL OR, EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY
PROVIDED HEREIN, A COURT TRIAL OF ANY CLAIM ALLEGED BY PARTICIPANT.
ARTICLE VII
ADMINISTRATION, AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION
Section 7.01 Administration. For purposes of ERISA, the Administrator shall be the
“named fiduciary” with respect to the operation and administration of the Plan. The Administrator has the
exclusive right, power and authority, in its sole and absolute discretion, to administer and interpret the Plan.
The Administrator has all powers reasonably necessary to carry out its responsibilities under the Plan
including (but not limited to) the sole and absolute discretionary authority to:
(a) administer the Plan according to its terms and to interpret Plan policies and procedures;
(b) establish rules, forms, and procedures for the administration of the Plan;
(c) resolve and clarify inconsistencies, ambiguities and omissions in the Plan and among and
between the Plan and other related documents;
(d) take all actions and make all decisions regarding questions of eligibility and entitlement to
benefits, and benefit amounts;
(e) make, amend, interpret, and enforce all appropriate rules and regulations for the
administration of the Plan;
(f) process and approve or deny all claims for benefits; and
(g) decide or resolve any and all questions of fact, interpretation, definition, computation or
administration arising in connection with the operation of the Plan, including, but not limited to, the
eligibility to participate in the Plan and the amount of benefits paid under the Plan.
The decision of the Administrator on any disputes arising under the Plan, including (but not limited
to) questions of construction, interpretation and administration shall be final, conclusive and binding on all
persons having an interest in or under the Plan. The Administrator may delegate any of its duties hereunder
to such person or persons from time to time as it may designate. Any such delegation shall be in writing.
Section 7.02 Amendment and Termination. The Plan may be amended or terminated by
the Administrator at any time, provided that no such amendment or termination may materially impair the
rights of a Participant whose Qualifying Termination Date previously occurred.
ARTICLE VIII
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section 8.01 At-Will Employment. The Plan does not alter the status of each Participant as
an at-will employee of the Company. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to give any Participant the
right to remain employed by the Company or to interfere with the rights of the Company to terminate the
employment of any Participant at any time, with or without Cause.
Section 8.02 Effect on Other Plans, Agreements and Benefits.
(a) Each Participant who incurs a Qualifying Termination shall remain entitled to any vested
benefits to which the Participant would otherwise be entitled under the terms and conditions of the
Company’s tax-qualified retirement plans, non-qualified deferred compensation plans and group health plans
and nothing contained in the Plan is intended to waive or relinquish the Participant’s vested rights in such
benefits.
(b) Any severance benefits payable to a Participant under the Plan shall not be counted as
compensation for purposes of determining benefits under any other benefit policies or plans of the Company,
except to the extent expressly provided therein.
Section 8.03 Severability. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of the Plan
shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision of the Plan. If any provision of the Plan
is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be illegal, invalid, void or unenforceable, such provision shall
be deemed modified, amended and narrowed to the extent necessary to render such provision legal, valid and
enforceable, and the other remaining provisions of the Plan shall not be affected but shall remain in full force
and effect.
Section 8.04 Headings and Subheadings. Headings and subheadings contained in the Plan
are intended solely for convenience and no provision of the Plan is to be construed by reference to the
heading or subheading of any section or paragraph.
Section 8.05 Unfunded Obligations. The amounts to be paid to Participants under the Plan
are unfunded obligations of the Company. The Company is not required to segregate any monies or other
assets from its general funds with respect to these obligations. Participants shall not have any preference or
security interest in any assets of the Company other than as a general unsecured creditor. No employee
contributions to the Plan are required or permitted.
Section 8.06 Successors. The Plan shall be binding upon any successor to the Company, its
assets, its businesses or its interest, in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company would be
obligated under the Plan if no succession had taken place. In the case of any transaction in which a
successor would not by the foregoing provision or by operation of law be bound by the Plan, the Company
shall require any successor to the Company to expressly assume the Plan in writing and honor the
obligations of the Company hereunder, in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company would
be required to perform if no succession had taken place.
Section 8.07 Transfer and Assignment. Without the prior consent of the Company,
neither a Participant nor any other person shall have any right to sell, assign, transfer, pledge, anticipate or
otherwise encumber, transfer, hypothecate or convey any amounts payable under the Plan prior to the date
that such amounts are paid, except that, in the case of a Participant’s death, such amounts shall be paid to the
Participant’s beneficiaries.
Section 8.08 Waiver. Any party’s failure to enforce any provision or provisions of the
Plan shall not in any way be construed as a waiver of any such provision or provisions, nor prevent any party
from thereafter enforcing each and every other provision of the Plan.
Section 8.09 Governing Law. THE PLAN SHALL BE DEEMED TO BE MADE IN
CALIFORNIA, AND, TO THE EXTENT NOT PREEMPTED BY ERISA OR OTHER FEDERAL
LAW, THE VALIDITY, INTERPRETATION, CONSTRUCTION AND PERFORMANCE OF THE
PLAN IN ALL RESPECTS SHALL BE GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF CALIFORNIA
WITHOUT REGARD TO ITS PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAW. By participating in the Plan,
each Participant and the Company and its Subsidiaries hereby irrevocably consent to, and agree not to object
or assert any defense or challenge to, the jurisdiction and venue of the state and federal courts located in
Santa Ana, California, and agree that any claim which, subject to ARTICLE VI above, may be brought in a
court of law or equity may be brought in any such Santa Ana, California court. To the extent benefits
provided under ARTICLE IV are subject to interpretation under Delaware law due to the administration of
the Incentive Plan, then, if necessary and solely to the extent necessary to administer the Incentive Plan, such
governing law provision shall be deemed to supersede this Section 8.09.
Section 8.10 Clawback. Any amounts payable under the Plan are subject to any policy
(whether in existence as of the Effective Date or later adopted) established by the Company providing for
clawback or recovery of amounts that were paid to the Participant. The Company shall make any
determination for clawback or recovery in its sole discretion and in accordance with any applicable law or
regulation. Notwithstanding any provisions in this Plan to the contrary, the Administrator may, in its sole
and absolute discretion, in the event of Participant’s material breach of a material obligation of Participant to
the Company pursuant to any award or agreement between Participant and the Company, including a
material breach of the Release Agreement or a determination that an event of Cause has occurred, regardless
of whether such determination happened prior to or following the Qualifying Termination Date, to the fullest
extent permitted by law: (i) terminate the right of such Participant to receive any payment or benefit under
this Plan, and (ii) seek the clawback or recovery of any payment paid to such Participant under this Plan,
including through the exercise of rights of set-off, forfeiture or cancellation with respect to any other awards,
benefits or payments otherwise due to Participant from the Company, to the extent the Administrator in its
sole discretion deems appropriate after considering the relevant facts and circumstances. Any termination,
clawback and/or recovery of a Participant’s payments and benefits under this Plan shall be in addition and
without prejudice to any other remedies that the Company might elect to assert.
Section 8.11 Withholding. The Company shall have the right to withhold from any
amount payable hereunder any Federal, state and local taxes in order for the Company to satisfy any
withholding tax obligation it may have under any applicable law or regulation.
Section 8.12 ERISA. The Plan is intended is intended to be “a plan which is unfunded
and maintained by an employer primarily for the purpose of providing deferred compensation for a select
group of management or highly compensation employees,” within the meaning of Sections 201(2), 301(a)(3)
and 401(a)(1) of ERISA such that it will be, among other things, exempt from the reporting and disclosure
requirements of Part 1 of Title I of ERISA. In the event that the Plan does not meet the requirements of
unfunded plan maintained by an employer primarily for the purpose of providing deferred compensation for
a select group of management or highly compensation employees, as described above with respect to any
category of Participant, the Plan is intended to constitute a “severance pay arrangement” within the meaning
of Section 3(2)(B)(i) of ERISA so as to be excepted from the definitions of “employee pension benefit plan”
and “pension plan” set forth under section 3(2) of ERISA, and is intended to meet the descriptive
requirements of a plan constituting a “severance pay plan” within
the meaning of regulations published by the Secretary of Labor at Title 29, Code of Federal Regulations §
2510.3−2(b).
Section 8.13 Section 409A. The intent of the parties is that payments and benefits under
this Plan be exempt from, or comply with, Section 409A, and accordingly, to the maximum extent permitted,
this Plan shall be interpreted and administered to be in accordance therewith. Notwithstanding anything
contained herein to the contrary, the Participant shall not be considered to have terminated employment with
the Company for purposes of any payments under this Plan which are subject to Section 409A until the
Participant would be considered to have incurred a “separation from service” from the Company within the
meaning of Section 409A. Each amount to be paid or benefit to be provided under this Plan shall be
construed as a separate identified payment for purposes of Section 409A, and any payments described in this
Plan that are due within the “short term deferral period” as defined in Section 409A shall not be treated as
deferred compensation unless applicable law requires otherwise. Without limiting the foregoing and
notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, to the extent required in order to avoid
accelerated taxation and/or tax penalties under Section 409A, amounts that would otherwise be payable and
benefits that would otherwise be provided pursuant to this Plan during the six (6)-month period immediately
following a Participant’s separation from service shall instead be paid on the first business day after the date
that is six (6) months following the Participant’s separation from service (or, if earlier, death). To the extent
required to avoid accelerated taxation and/or tax penalties under Section 409A, amounts reimbursable to the
Participant under this Plan shall be paid to the Participant on or before the last day of the year following the
year in which the expense was incurred and the amount of expenses eligible for reimbursement (and in-kind
benefits provided) during any one year may not effect amounts reimbursable or provided in any subsequent
year. The Company makes no representation that any or all of the payments described in this Plan shall be
exempt from or comply with Section 409A and makes no undertaking to preclude Section 409A from
applying to any such payment. The Participant shall be solely responsible for the payment of any taxes and
penalties incurred under Section 409A.
***
EXHIBIT A
FORM OF SEPARATION AND GENERAL RELEASE AGREEMENT
THIS SEPARATION AND GENERAL RELEASE AGREEMENT (this “Release”) is
entered into as of the first date on the signature page hereto (which shall be no earlier than the
Qualifying Termination Date (defined below)), by and between Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (the
“Company”) and [ ● ] (“Executive”). Executive and the Company are individually referred to
herein as a “Party” and collectively as the “Parties.”
RECITALS
WHEREAS, Executive has served as the Company’s [●];
WHEREAS, Executive’s employment with the Company and any other position Executive
may hold with the Company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates terminated as of [ ● ] (the
“Qualifying Termination Date”);
WHEREAS, the Parties now wish to document and make arrangements pertaining to the
termination of their employment relationship and to resolve, fully and finally, all outstanding
matters between them; and
WHEREAS, Executive’s execution and non-revocation of this Release is a condition for
receiving payments and benefits under the Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. Executive Officer
Severance Plan (the “Plan”), as described in Section 3 of this Release.
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements set forth
hereinafter, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is
hereby acknowledged, the Parties, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:
AGREEMENT
1. EXECUTIVE’S SEPARATION. Executive’s last day of employment with the Company
is the Qualifying Termination Date. As of the Qualifying Termination Date, Executive irrevocably
resigns from all director, officer or other positions with the Company and its subsidiaries currently
held by Executive, including as [●]. Executive agrees to execute any and all documents necessary
to effect such resignations including the resignation letter set forth in Appendix A. Executive agrees
that, following the Qualifying Termination Date, Executive will not represent Executive to be
associated in any capacity with the Company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates.
Notwithstanding Executive’s resignation from all positions held by Executive, Executive shall
continue to be entitled to all indemnification and liability insurance benefits provided to Executive
as an employee or officer of the Company or of any of its subsidiaries or affiliates pursuant to [the
Indemnification Agreement dated as of [ ● ] between Executive and the Company and]1 the
Company’s Amended and Restated Bylaws and applicable law.
______________________________
1
Note to Draft: To include if applicable.
2. ACCRUED COMPENSATION. The Company shall pay or provide to Executive the
Accrued Compensation (as defined in the Plan) and other benefits set forth in Section 3.01(d) of the
Plan. Executive’s entitlement to the Accrued Compensation is in no way conditioned on Executive
executing this Release. Executive acknowledges that that there is no accrued or unpaid vacation
payable to Executive under the Company’s unlimited paid time off policy.
3. CONSIDERATION. In consideration of the terms, representations and releases contained
in this Release, and subject to (x) Executive timely executing and not revoking this Release and (y)
Executive’s continued compliance with the covenants and obligations arising under or referred to in
this Release, Executive shall receive the payments and benefits set forth below at the time and in
the form set forth below:
a. In satisfaction of the payments and benefits set forth in Section 3.01(a) of the Plan,
cash severance in the aggregate amount of $[ ● ] (the “Severance Amount”), which represents
[CEO: 2.0] [OTHER EXECUTIVES: 1.5] times the sum of (i) Executive’s base salary in effect
immediately prior to the Qualifying Termination Date of $[ ● ] and (ii) Executive’s target annual
bonus of $[ ● ]. The Severance Amount shall be paid in substantially equal installments over a
period of [CEO: twenty-four (24) months] [OTHER EXECUTIVES: eighteen (18) months]
following the Qualifying Termination Date in accordance with the Company’s regular payroll
practices, commencing with the first regular payroll next following the sixtieth (60th) day after the
Qualifying Termination Date (the “Payment Commencement Date”). The first payment shall
include the regular installment and catch up any additional installment amounts that would have
been made during the sixty (60) day period.
b. In satisfaction of the payments and benefits set forth in Section 3.01(b) of the Plan, a
lump sum amount equal to the pro-rated portion of Executive’s annual bonus under the Company’s
annual cash incentive program, paid no later than March 15th of the year immediately following the
year in which the Qualifying Termination Date occurs.
c. In satisfaction of the payments and benefits set forth in Section 3.01(c) of the Plan, a
lump sum payment of $[●] in lieu of subsidized benefits continuation under the Company’s group
health plans, paid on the Payment Commencement Date.
d. In satisfaction of the payments and benefits set forth in Section 4.01 of the Plan,
attached as Appendix B is a summary of outstanding Company equity awards held by Executive as
of the date of this Release (“LTI Awards”) illustrating the treatment contemplated by Section 4.01
of the Plan. Any LTI Awards that vest shall be distributed to or be exercisable by Executive in
accordance with the applicable terms and conditions of the Plan and the underlying Company
equity plan and award agreements. Executive shall not be entitled to receive any other award under
the Company’s equity plan or other long-term incentive program.
Executive acknowledges and agrees that under the terms of this Release, Executive is
receiving consideration beyond that to which Executive would otherwise be entitled upon a
termination of employment for any reason or no reason and which, but for the mutual covenants set
forth herein and therein, the Company would not otherwise be obligated to provide.
4. RELEASE AND WAIVER.
a. In exchange for the consideration described in Section 3 above, Executive, on
Executive’s own behalf and on behalf of Executive’s respective heirs, family members,
representatives, executors, agents, and assigns, hereby forever waives, releases and discharges the
Company and its past, present and future parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, successors, and assigns, as
well as each of its and their respective past, present and future officers, directors, employees,
agents, investors, attorneys, members, equityholders, partners, joint venturers, administrators,
affiliates, benefit plans, plan administrators, insurers and trustees (collectively, the “Company
Released Parties”) from and against any and all claims, charges, complaints, liens, demands,
causes of action, obligations, damages, fees, expenses and liabilities, known or unknown,
suspected or unsuspected, that Executive had, now has, or may hereafter claim to have against
the Company Released Parties arising out of or relating in any way to Executive’s employment
with, or separation from, the Company or any of its affiliates, or otherwise relating to any of the
Company Released Parties from the beginning of time to the date Executive signs this Release
(collectively, “Claims”). The Executive’s release of Claims specifically extends to, without
limitation, any and all Claims for wrongful termination, breach of an express or implied contract,
breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud,
misrepresentation, defamation, slander, infliction of emotional distress, disability, discrimination,
harassment, retaliation, failure to accommodate, loss of future earnings, and any claims under any
applicable state, federal, or local statutes, ordinances, and regulations, including, but not limited to,
the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, the Equal Pay Act of 1963, as amended, the Fair Labor
Standards Act, as amended, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as
amended, the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, as amended, Section 806 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Dodd-Frank Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, as amended, and the
California Family Rights Act, as amended, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, as
amended (“ADEA”), the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act, as amended (the “OWBPA”), the
California Labor Code and Wage Orders, the California Family Rights Act, as amended, the
California Fair Employment and Housing Act, as amended, California Business & Professions
Code Section 17200, and the California Constitution, each as amended and including their
implementing regulations, as well as any and all Claims for attorneys’ fees; provided, however,
that the Executive’s release of Claims does not waive, release or otherwise discharge (i) any claim
or cause of action arising from a breach by the Company of this Release, (ii) any claim relating to
directors’ and officers’ liability insurance coverage or any right of indemnification under the
Company’s organizational documents or otherwise or (iii) any claim that cannot legally be waived.
b. For the purpose of implementing a full and complete release, Executive understands
and agrees that this Release is intended to include all claims, if any, which Executive may have and
which Executive does not now know or suspect to exist in Executive’s favor against the Company
Released Parties and this Release extinguishes those claims. Accordingly, Executive expressly
waives all rights afforded by Section 1542 of the Civil Code of the State of California (“Section
1542”) and any similar statute or regulation in any other applicable jurisdiction. Section 1542 states
as follows:
A GENERAL RELEASE DOES NOT EXTEND TO CLAIMS THAT THE
CREDITOR OR RELEASING PARTY DOES NOT KNOW OR SUSPECT TO EXIST IN
HIS OR HER FAVOR AT THE TIME OF EXECUTING THE RELEASE AND THAT, IF
KNOWN BY HIM OR HER, WOULD HAVE MATERIALLY AFFECTED HIS OR HER
SETTLEMENT WITH THE DEBTOR OR RELEASED PARTY.
c. This Release shall not prevent Executive from filing a charge with the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission (or similar state or local agency) or participating in any
investigation conducted by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (or similar state or
local agency); provided, however, that Executive acknowledges and agrees that any claims by
Executive for personal relief in connection with such a charge or investigation (such as
reinstatement or monetary damages) hereby are barred. For the avoidance of doubt, this Release
shall not in any manner prevent Executive from filing a charge or claim with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (SEC) and Executive’s ability to seek or receive an SEC whistleblower
award as provided under Section 21F of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 for information
provided to the SEC concerning suspected violations of law.
5. TAX MATTERS; CODE SECTION 409A COMPLIANCE. The Company shall have the
right to withhold from any amount payable hereunder any Federal, state and local taxes in order for
the Company to satisfy any withholding tax obligation it may have under any applicable law or
regulation and other applicable payroll deductions. This Release as well as payments and benefits
under this Release are intended to be exempt from, or to the extent subject thereto, to comply with
Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (“Section 409A”), and,
accordingly, to the maximum extent permitted, the Release shall be interpreted in accordance
therewith. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, Executive shall not be
considered to have terminated employment with the Company for purposes of any payments under
this Release which are subject to Section 409A until Executive has incurred a “separation from
service” from the Company within the meaning of Section 409A. Each amount to be paid or benefit
to be provided under this Release shall be construed as a separate identified payment for purposes
of Section 409A. Without limiting the foregoing and notwithstanding anything contained herein to
the contrary, to the extent required in order to avoid an accelerated or additional tax under Section
409A, amounts that would otherwise be payable and benefits that would otherwise be provided
pursuant to this Release during the six (6)-month period immediately following Executive’s
separation from service shall instead be paid on the first business day after the date that is six (6)
months following Executive’s separation from service (or, if earlier, Executive’s date of death). To
the extent required to avoid an accelerated or additional tax under Section 409A, amounts
reimbursable to Executive shall be paid to Executive on or before the last day of the year following
the year in which the expense was incurred and the amount of expenses eligible for reimbursement
(and in kind benefits provided to Executive) during one year may not affect amounts reimbursable
or provided in any subsequent year. The Company makes no representation that any or all of the
payments described in this Release will be exempt from or comply with Section 409A and makes
no undertaking to preclude Section 409A from applying to any such payment. Executive shall be
solely responsible for the payment of any taxes and penalties incurred under Section 409A.
Executive further agrees that: (i) Executive shall be solely responsible for all federal, state, and/or
local tax liability, if any, arising from payment of the Severance Amount and other benefits
provided for herein (the “Separation Benefits”), including any interest or penalties associated with
tax liability, and Executive will not look to or seek from the Company compensation for any such
tax liability or related costs; (ii) no tax advice has been provided to Executive whatsoever by the
Company or its attorneys; and (iii) should any taxing authority seek
to recover from the Company any taxes, interest or penalties deemed to be due as a result of the
Separation Benefits, Executive shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Company and its
successors and assigns from and against any and all such claims for taxes, interest or penalties.
6. REPRESENTATIONS. Executive and the Company make the following representations,
each of which is an important consideration to the other Party’s willingness to enter into this
Release:
a. Executive acknowledges that the Company is not entering into this Release because
it believes that Executive has any cognizable legal Claim against the Company Released Parties
and that by entering into this Release neither Party admits any liability or wrongdoing of any kind.
If Executive elects not to sign this Release, the fact that this Release was offered will not be
understood as an indication that the Company Released Parties believed Executive was treated
unlawfully in any respect.
b. Executive has delivered to the Company, and shall not keep in Executive’s
possession, recreate, or deliver to anyone else, any and all Company property, including, but not
limited to, Confidential Information (as defined below), as well as all devices and equipment
belonging to the Company (including computers, handheld electronic devices, telephone
equipment, and other electronic devices), Company credit cards, records, data, notes, notebooks,
reports, files, proposals, lists, correspondence, specifications, drawings, blueprints, sketches,
materials, photographs, charts, any other documents and property, and reproductions of any and all
of the aforementioned items that were developed by Executive pursuant to his employment with the
Company, obtained by Executive in connection with Executive’s employment with the Company,
or otherwise belonging to the Company, its successors, or assigns. If Executive has used any
personal cellular phone, tablet, personal or laptop computer or other electronic device, email or
storage account or system to conduct work for or on behalf of the Company, Executive agrees to
provide reasonable access to the Company to ensure that all Confidential Information and other
materials belonging to the Company have been removed.
c. Executive has complied and shall continue to apply with the restrictive covenants set
forth in this Release and all restrictive covenant agreements between Executive and the Company,
which shall be incorporated by reference into this Release.
d. Executive has not made any claims or allegations to the Company related to sexual
assault or abuse, sexual harassment, or sex discrimination, and none of the payments set forth in
this Release are related to sexual abuse, sexual harassment or sex discrimination.
e. Executive has not engaged in any violation of the Company’s Code of Ethics or
policies under the Company’s Employee Handbook (collectively, “C and E Policies”) or unlawful
conduct relating to the business of the Company, and is not aware of any violations of C and E
Policies or unlawful conduct relating to the business of the Company that you have not previously
reported.
f. Executive and the Company each represent and warrant to the other that each has the
capacity and authority to enter into this Release and to be bound by its terms.
g. Executive was represented by independent legal counsel in connection with
Executive’s consideration of this Release.
7. COOPERATION. Subject to Sections 4(c) and 10(d) of this Release, Executive agrees
that Executive will cooperate with the Company, including executing documents and providing
requested information, as may reasonably be required to give effect to the provisions of this
Release or for the Company to comply with applicable laws. Executive further agrees that, subject
to Executive’s rights under Sections 4(c) and 10(d) of this Release and applicable law, Executive
will cooperate with the Company concerning reasonable requests for information about the
business of the Company or any of its affiliates or Executive’s involvement and participation
therein; the transition of duties to others within the Company; the defense, prosecution or
investigation of any claims or actions now in existence or which may be brought in the future
against or on behalf of the Company or its affiliates which relate to events or occurrences that
transpired while Executive was employed by the Company, and in connection with any audit,
investigation or review by any federal, state, or local regulatory, quasi-regulatory or self-governing
authority, or any internal investigation, relating to such events or occurrences, other than any such
charges or claims brought by or on behalf of Executive against the Company or any of its affiliates;
provided, however, that the nothing in this Section 7 is intended to restrict or limit Executive from
exercising his or her protected rights arising under Sections 4(c) and 10(d) or applicable law, or
restrict or limit Executive from providing truthful information in response to a subpoena, other
legal process or valid governmental inquiry. Without limiting the foregoing, Executive’s
cooperation shall include, but not be limited to, being reasonably available to meet and speak with
officers and employees of the Company, its affiliates and/or its counsel at reasonable times and
locations, executing accurate and truthful documents including declarations, testifying in
connection with any and all legal proceedings at the request of the Company and without the need
for a subpoena, and taking such other actions as may reasonably be requested by the Company
and/or its counsel to effectuate the foregoing. The Parties shall cooperate in good faith to schedule
any meetings or discussions pursuant to this Section 7 so as not to conflict with Executive’s other
obligations.
8. NON-DISPARAGEMENT. Subject to Section 10(d), Executive agrees not to engage in
any form of conduct or make any public or private statements or representations that disparage or
otherwise impair the reputation, goodwill or commercial interest (“Disparaging Conduct”) of the
Company, its respective past, present, and future subsidiaries or affiliates, or any of their respective
directors, officers, employees, shareholders, or representatives (collectively, “Chipotle Covered
Entity”); disrupts or impairs any operations of any Chipotle Covered Entity; harms any Chipotle
Covered Entity’s reputation with customers, suppliers, shareholders, or the public; or interferes
with any Chipotle Covered Entity’s contractual relationships.
9. NON-SOLICITATION. Executive agrees that for a period of twelve (12) months
immediately following the Qualifying Termination Date, Executive shall not, directly or indirectly,
for Executive or on behalf of any third party (other than the Company and its subsidiaries) solicit,
induce, recruit or encourage any of the employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries (i) who
reported directly to Executive, (ii) who reported directly to one of Executive’s direct reports or (iii)
with whom Executive worked on substantive projects during the twelve (12) months immediately
preceding the Qualifying Termination Date, to leave their employment with
Company or any of its subsidiaries, or to join any competitor to the Company or any of its
subsidiaries.
10. CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.
a. Executive acknowledges that the business(es) of the Company and its subsidiaries
are highly competitive and that, during the period of Executive’s employment with the Company,
the Company provided Executive with access to Confidential Information, as defined below,
relating to the business of the Company. Executive further acknowledges that Confidential
Information has been developed at considerable time, expense and effort by or on behalf of
Company, is unique and constitutes valuable property of the Company, and that the Confidential
Information provides the Company with a very valuable competitive advantage. Executive further
acknowledges that Executive was provided with access to Confidential Information at the outset of
Executive’s employment with Company, during the term of Executive’s employment at Company,
and that Executive has continuing knowledge of such Confidential Information.
b. The term “Confidential Information” as used herein means and includes any and all
data or information and documentation relating to the Company’s business that is not generally
known to the public or readily obtainable from outside sources. Confidential Information includes,
by way of example and without limitation, the following: financial information, including but not
limited to earnings, assets, debts, prices, cost information, budgets, sales and profit projections or
other financial data; marketing information, including but not limited to details about ongoing or
proposed marketing strategies, marketing forecasts, or information about impending transactions;
product information, including but not limited to development plans, product designs, product costs
and pricing policies; information regarding actual or potential customers; employee information,
compensation strategy and information and recruiting plans; diversity statistics and strategy; pay
equity information, analysis and plans; employment law compliance, collective bargaining
activities and strategies and investigations of employee misconduct; executive compensation plans,
strategy and analyses; and Board of Directors and Compensation Committee deliberations and
discussions. Executive acknowledges that such information is confidential whether or not such
information is labeled as such by the Company.
c. Subject to Section 10(d), commencing on the Qualifying Termination Date and at all
times thereafter, except as authorized in writing by the Company, Executive agrees that Executive
shall not directly or indirectly use, divulge, furnish or make accessible to any person or entity any
Confidential Information for as long as such information remains non-public, but instead shall keep
all Confidential Information strictly and absolutely confidential. [Executive shall also comply with
the terms of the Company’s Employee Confidentiality Agreement previously executed by
Executive in [●].]2.
________________
Note to Draft: To include if applicable.
2
d. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this Release (including but not limited to
Sections 7, 8, 10 and 11 of this Release) is intended or shall prevent, impede or interfere with
Executive’s non-waivable rights, without prior notice to the Company, to (i) voluntarily
communicate with or provide information or documents to, initiate a charge or claim with, testify
before, comply with a subpoena from, or assist or otherwise participate in any manner with an
investigation or proceeding conducted by, any government agency, legislative body, or self-
regulatory organization, including making reports of possible violations of federal law or regulation
to any governmental agency or entity in accordance with the provisions of and rules promulgated
under Section 21F of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or Section 806 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or of any other whistleblower protection provisions of state or federal
law or regulation, (ii) disclose any information (including, without limitation, information of a
confidential or proprietary nature) to a court or other administrative or legislative body in response
to a subpoena, court order or written request, provided that Executive first promptly notifies (to the
extent legally permissible) the Company and, with respect to any subpoena, court order or written
request on behalf of any non-governmental person, uses commercially reasonable efforts to
cooperate with any effort by the Company to seek to challenge the subpoena, court order or written
request on behalf of any non-governmental person or obtain a protective order limiting its
disclosure, or other appropriate remedy, participate in investigations, respond to a subpoena, court
order or written request, or testify in proceedings regarding the Company’s past or future conduct,
or engage in any future activities protected under federal, state or local law, including
whistleblower statutes, (iii) recover a whistleblower award as provided under Section 21F of the
Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, or (iv) discuss or disclose information about unlawful acts in
the workplace, such as harassment or discrimination or any other conduct that Executive has reason
to believe is unlawful. Further, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1833(b), Executive will not be held
criminally or civilly liable under any federal or state trade secret law for the disclosure of a trade
secret of the Company that (I) is made (A) in confidence to a federal, state, or local government
official, either directly or indirectly, or to your attorney and (B) solely for the purpose of reporting
or investigating a suspected violation of law; or (II) is made in a complaint or other document that
is filed under seal in a lawsuit or other proceeding. If Executive files a lawsuit for retaliation by the
Company for reporting a suspected violation of law, Executive may disclose the trade secret to
Executive’s attorney and use the trade secret information in the court proceeding, if Executive (i)
files any document containing the trade secret under seal, and (ii) does not disclose the trade secret,
except pursuant to court order. While Executive is encouraged to bring any such possible violation
to the attention of the Company, Executive does not need the prior authorization of the Company to
make any such reports or disclosures to these entities.
11. REMEDIES. If Executive breaches this Release or materially fails to comply with or
otherwise materially breaches any of the promises, representations or releases in this Release, in
addition to all other legal and equitable remedies available to the Company in the event of a breach,
(a) the Company may immediately stop any payments or benefits otherwise owing to Executive
under this Release and may seek additional relief or remedy as provided under applicable law, and
(b) Executive will be responsible for payment of all reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs that the
Company incurred in the course of enforcing the terms of this Release, including demonstrating the
existence of a breach and any other contract enforcement efforts. Any such
cessation of payments or benefits shall not limit, restrict or otherwise affect Executive’s release of
Claims or any other obligations of Executive set forth in this Release, or Executive’s continuing
obligations under any restrictive covenants agreement with the Company.
12. REASONABLENESS OF RESTRICTIONS. Executive acknowledges: (i) that the
scope and duration of the restrictions on Executive’s activities under Sections 8 through 10 of this
Release are reasonable and necessary to protect the legitimate business interests of the Company;
(ii) that the Company provided Executive with access to Confidential Information and specialized
training at the outset of Executive’s employment with Company, and during the course of
Executive’s employment with the Company; (c) that Executive will be reasonably able to earn a
living without violating the terms of this Release; and (d) the restrictions in this Release, along with
the release provisions in Sections 4 and 21 served as a material inducement to the Company to
agree to the consideration provisions contained in Sections 3 of this Release.
13. GOVERNING LAW. This Release and the performance hereof shall be construed and
governed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, and the Parties waive the
application of conflicts of laws provisions or principles of any state or jurisdiction.
14. SEVERABILITY. In the event that any provision or any portion of any provision hereof
or any surviving agreement made a part hereof becomes or is declared by a court of competent
jurisdiction or arbitrator to be illegal, unenforceable, or void, this Release shall continue in full
force and effect without said provision or portion of provision.
15. SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS. Executive agrees that this Release shall be binding
upon, and pass to the benefit of, the successors and assigns of the Company. Any payments and
benefits due to the Executive hereunder shall be payable to his estate or representative in the event
of his death or disability.
16. AMENDMENTS. This Release may not be amended or modified other than by a
written instrument signed by an authorized representative of the Company and Executive.
17. DESCRIPTIVE HEADINGS. The section headings contained herein are for reference
purposes only and shall not in any way affect the meaning or interpretation of this Release.
18. COUNTERPARTS. This Release may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of
which shall be deemed an original, but all of which shall constitute one and the same instrument.
Facsimile, electronic and .pdf signatures will suffice as original signatures.
19. THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES. Each Company Released Party is intended to be a
third-party beneficiary of this Release, and this Release may be enforced by each such Company
Release Party in accordance with the terms hereof in respect of the rights granted to such Company
Released Party hereunder.
20. ENTIRE AGREEMENT. This Release sets forth the entire agreement and
understanding of the Parties relating to the subject matter hereof and, except for the agreements
referenced herein or as otherwise provided herein, supersedes all prior discussions, agreements and
understandings of every kind and nature between the Parties hereto and neither of the Parties
shall be bound by any term or condition other than as expressly set forth or provided for in this
Release. This Release may only be amended or modified in a writing signed by Executive and an
authorized representative of the Company.
21. KNOWING AND VOLUNTARY ACKNOWLEDGMENT; SPECIFIC RELEASE OF
ADEA CLAIMS. Executive specifically agrees and acknowledges that:
a. Executive has read this Release in its entirety and understands all of its terms;
b. Executive has been advised to consult with an attorney before executing this
Release, and has consulted with such counsel as Executive believed was necessary before signing
this Release;
c. Executive knowingly, freely, and voluntarily assents to all of this Release’s terms
and conditions including, without limitation, the waiver, release, and covenants;
d. Executive is signing this Release, including the waiver and release, in exchange for
good and valuable consideration in addition to anything of value to which Executive is otherwise
entitled;
e. Executive is not waiving or releasing rights or claims that may arise after the
Executive signs this Release; and
f. Executive understands that the waiver and release in this Release is being requested
in connection with Executive’s separation of employment from the Company.
Executive understands and acknowledges that Executive is waiving and releasing claims
under the ADEA, as amended, and its implementing regulations, and Executive has been informed
and understands and agrees that Executive has twenty-one (21) calendar days after receipt of this
Release (the “Review Period”) to consider whether to sign it and that any changes to this Release
do not restart the running of the Review Period. Executive has been informed and understands and
agrees that Executive may revoke this Release at any time during the seven (7) calendar days after
this Release is signed and returned to the Company (the “Revocation Period”), in which case none
of the provisions of the Executive’s release of Claims will have any effect. Executive acknowledges
and agrees that if Executive wishes to revoke the Executive’s release of Claims, Executive must do
so in writing, and such revocation must be signed by Executive and received by the Chief Legal
Officer and General Counsel of the Company no later than the seventh (7th) day after Executive
has signed and returned this Release. Executive acknowledges and agrees that, in the event
Executive either fails to sign within the Review Period or revokes this Release during the
Revocation Period, Executive shall have no right to receive the consideration set forth in Section 3
of this Release. This Release, and the Executive’s release of Claims, shall be effective upon the
eighth (8th) calendar day following the date that Executive executes this Release (the “Effective
Date”); provided that Executive does not revoke or attempt to revoke Executive’s acceptance of
this Release prior to such date in accordance with the provisions herein.
(SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS)
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties have executed this Release as of the first date set forth below
(which shall be no earlier than the Qualifying Termination Date).
[DATE]
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.
610 Newport Center Drive
Suite 1400
Newport Beach, CA 92660
To Whom it may Concern:
I hereby irrevocably resign, effective as of [DATE], from all positions and offices I hold with the Company
or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates, including as [POSITION].
________________________
* SOSARs that are vested as of the Qualifying Termination Date shall be exercisable by
Executive in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Plan.
** Annual PSUs that are not forfeited as of the Qualifying Termination Date and continue to vest
shall be earned or forfeited based on the Company’s actual performance during the applicable
performance period in accordance with the terms and conditions of the PSU award agreement
and the applicable equity plan.
Exhibit 10.26
CHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL, INC.
610 Newport Center Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92260
February 6, 2024
Brian Niccol
c/o Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.
610 Newport Center Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Dear Brian:
On February 6, 2024, the Compensation, People and Culture Committee of the Board of Directors
(the “Compensation Committee”) of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. approved an Executive Officer
Severance Plan (the “Plan”), which provides severance benefits to Chipotle’s executive officers in
the event an executive officer’s employment is terminated either by Chipotle without “Cause” or
due to the executive officer’s resignation for “Good Reason.” The Plan also provides for pro rata
vesting of outstanding equity awards held by a terminated executive officer who qualifies under the
Plan based on the portion of the vesting period (or, in the case of performance-based awards, the
portion of the performance period) that has elapsed prior to the termination date, subject to actual
performance in the case of performance-based awards, and provides that time-based SOSARs will
remain exercisable until the earlier of 12 months after the termination date or the expiration date of
the award. All capitalized terms that are not defined in this letter have the meeting ascribed to them
in the Plan.
To honor the spirit of the offer letter that the Board of Directors extended to you in March 2018
when you agreed to join Chipotle, the Compensation Committee has agreed to the following
treatment of any equity award held by you in the event you experience a Qualifying Termination:
1. Time-Based Awards held by you on the Qualifying Termination Date will vest on the
Qualifying Termination Date in a pro-rated amount based on the number of days from the
grant date of the applicable Award through and including the first (1st) anniversary of the
Qualifying Termination Date divided by the total number of days in the applicable vesting
period; and
2. Performance-Based Awards held by you on the Qualifying Termination Date will remain
outstanding and continue to vest and become exercisable, or be forfeited, based on
Chipotle’s actual performance through the end of the applicable performance period, in a
pro-rated amount, with the proration calculated based on the number of days from the first
day of the applicable performance period through and including the first (1st) anniversary of
the Qualifying Termination Date divided by the total number of days in the performance
period of the applicable equity award.
Brian Niccol
February 6, 2024
Page 2
Except as set forth above, all other equity awards held by you will be forfeited and canceled as of
the Qualifying Termination Date, and you will not be eligible to receive any new equity awards
granted by Chipotle after the Qualifying Termination Date.
Except for the terms expressly contained in this letter agreement, all other terms and conditions of
the Plan, including the condition precedent that you execute and not revoke a Release Agreement
prior to receiving the benefits stated above, apply without modification.
Sincerely,
Following is a list of subsidiaries of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc., excluding certain subsidiaries that, in the
aggregate as a single subsidiary, do not constitute a significant subsidiary.
of our reports dated February 7, 2024, with respect to the consolidated financial statements of Chipotle
Mexican Grill, Inc. and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting of Chipotle Mexican Grill,
Inc. included in this Annual Report (Form 10-K) of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. for the year ended
December 31, 2023.
Irvine, California
February 7, 2024
Exhibit 31.1
CERTIFICATION
I, Brian R. Niccol, certify that:
1. I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.;
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a
material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements
were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly
present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of,
and for, the periods presented in this report;
4. The registrant’s other certifying officers and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls
and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial
reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:
(a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to
be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including
its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the
period in which this report is being prepared;
(b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial
reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability
of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles;
(c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this
report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of
the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
(d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that
occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case
of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s
internal control over financial reporting; and
5. The registrant’s other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal
control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of
directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
(a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over
financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record,
process, summarize and report financial information; and
(b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant
role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
CERTIFICATION
I, John R. Hartung, certify that:
1. I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.;
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a
material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements
were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly
present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of,
and for, the periods presented in this report;
4. The registrant’s other certifying officers and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls
and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial
reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:
(a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to
be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including
its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the
period in which this report is being prepared;
(b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial
reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability
of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles;
(c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this
report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of
the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
(d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that
occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case
of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s
internal control over financial reporting; and
5. The registrant’s other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal
control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of
directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
(a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over
financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record,
process, summarize and report financial information; and
(b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant
role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
In accordance with 18 U.S.C. 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, Brian R.
Niccol, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (the “Registrant”) and John R.
Hartung, the Chief Financial and Administrative Officer of the Registrant, each hereby certifies that, to the best of his
knowledge:
1. The Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2023, to which this Certification
is attached as Exhibit 32.1 (the “Periodic Report”), fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or
Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and
2. The information contained in the Periodic Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition of
the Registrant at the end of the period covered by the Periodic Report and results of operations of the Registrant for
the periods covered by the Periodic Report.
Purpose
The New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) requires listed companies to implement policies for
recovery (i.e., “clawback”) of erroneously awarded incentive-based compensation, implementing Section
10D of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), which was added by
Section 954 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010. This Executive
Compensation Recovery Policy (this “Policy”) implements the listing standards required by the NYSE for
clawback of erroneously awarded incentive compensation and also sets forth other circumstances under
which Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (the “Company”) and its applicable subsidiaries (together with the
Company, the “Company Group”) may recoup or forfeit Erroneously Awarded Compensation that is
received by current and former Executive Officers.
Scope
This Policy applies to all current and former Executive Officers of the Company. For purposes of
this Policy, “Executive Officer” means each “officer” of the Company as defined under Rule 16a-1(f)
under Section 16 of the Exchange Act, which shall be deemed to include any individuals identified by the
Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) as executive officers pursuant to Item 401(b) of
Regulation S-K under the Exchange Act.
Statement of Policy
This Policy has two distinct sections – Section 1 requires recovery of Erroneously Awarded
Compensation due to certain accounting restatements, and Section 2 permits recovery of compensation due
to certain egregious conduct.
1. Clawback Due to Accounting Restatement
This section of the Policy is intended to implement Section 303A.14 of the NYSE Listed
Company Manual and Rule 10D-1 of the Securities Exchange Act, and in the event of any conflict or
ambiguity, the definitions and requirements of Section 303A.14 and Rule 10D‑1 shall govern.
Clawback Requirement. In the event of a Restatement, any Erroneously Awarded Compensation
received during the Lookback Period prior to a Restatement (a) that is then-outstanding but has not yet
been paid shall be automatically and immediately forfeited and (b) that has been paid to any person shall
be subject to reasonably prompt repayment to the Company Group in accordance with the “Means of
Repayment” section of this Policy.
Means of Repayment. In the event that the Board determines that any person shall repay any
Erroneously Awarded Compensation, the Board shall provide written notice to such person by email or
certified mail to the physical address on file with the Company Group for such person, and the person
shall satisfy such repayment in a manner and on such terms as required by the Board, and the Company
Group shall be entitled to set off the repayment amount against any amount owed to the person by the
Company Group, to require the forfeiture of any award granted by the Company Group to the person, or
to take any and all necessary actions to reasonably promptly recoup the repayment amount from the
person, in each case, to the fullest extent permitted under applicable law, including without limitation,
Section 409A of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code and the regulations and guidance thereunder. If the
Board does not specify a repayment timing in the written notice described above, the applicable person
shall be required to repay the Erroneously Awarded Compensation to the Company Group by wire, cash
or cashier’s check no later than thirty (30) days after receipt of such notice.
No Indemnification. The Company Group is prohibited from indemnifying, insuring or
reimbursing any current or former Executive Officer against the loss by such person of Erroneously
Awarded Compensation in accordance with this Policy, nor shall any such person receive any
advancement of expenses for disputes related to any loss of compensation by such person in accordance
with this Policy, and no person shall be paid or reimbursed by the Company Group for any premiums
paid by such person for any third-party insurance policy covering potential recovery obligations under
this Policy. For this purpose, “indemnification” includes any modification to current compensation
arrangements or other means that would amount to de facto indemnification (for example, providing the
person a new cash award which would be cancelled to effect the recovery of any Erroneously Awarded
Compensation). In no event shall the Company Group be required to award any person an additional
payment if any Restatement would result in a higher incentive compensation payment.
· “Restatement” means a required accounting restatement of any Company financial statement due
to the Company’s material noncompliance with any financial reporting requirement under the
U.S. securities laws, including (a) to correct an error in previously issued financial statements that
is material to the previously issued financial statements (commonly referred to as a “Big R”
restatement) or (b) to correct an error in previously issued financial statements that is not material
to previously issued financial statements, but that would result in a material misstatement if either
the error was left uncorrected in the current report, or the error correction was recognized in the
current period (commonly referred to as “little r” restatements). For clarity, a Restatement does
not include an “out-of-period adjustment” – a situation where the error is immaterial to the
previously issued financial statements and the correction of the error is also immaterial to the
current period – or changes to prior period financial statements that do not arise due to error
corrections, such as retrospective revisions to financial statements due to changes in accounting
principles or segments.
Exceptions to Clawback Requirement. The Company Group shall recover Erroneously Awarded
Compensation in compliance with this Policy except to the extent that one of the three conditions set forth
below have been met, and the Board has decided that recovery would be impracticable:
· the direct expense paid to a third party to assist in enforcing the Policy would exceed the amount to
be recovered; however, before reaching this conclusion, the Company Group must make a
reasonable attempt to recover such Erroneously Awarded Compensation, document such
reasonable attempt to recover, and provide that documentation to the NYSE;
· recovery would violate home country law where that law was adopted prior to November 28, 2022;
however, before reaching this conclusion, the Company must obtain an opinion of home country
counsel, acceptable to the NYSE, that recovery would result in such a violation, and must provide
such opinion to the NYSE; or
· recovery would likely cause an otherwise tax-qualified retirement plan, under which benefits are
broadly available to employees of the registrant, to fail to meet the requirements of 26 U.S.C.
401(a)(13) or 26 U.S.C. 411(a) and regulations thereunder.
·“Covered Compensation” means cash and/or equity-based compensation that was granted to any
Executive Officer, excluding severance benefits awarded [under the Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.
Change in Control Severance Plan or other change in control plan or agreement of the Company
Group].
· “Covered Conduct” means any one of the following:
o any act or omission that would constitute “Cause” under the terms of the Chipotle
Mexican Grill, Inc. 2022 Stock Incentive Plan (the “Stock Plan”) (or any award agreement
issued thereunder, if the term is separately defined) or other applicable agreement or plan
of the Company Group;
o the material breach of a written policy applicable to the Executive Officer, including, but
not limited to, the Company’s Code of Ethics;
o egregious misconduct by the Executive Officer including, but not limited to, fraud,
criminal activities, falsification of Company Group records, theft, violent acts or threats of
violence, or a violation of law, unethical conduct or inappropriate behavior that causes
substantial financial or reputational harm to the Company Group or exposes the Company
Group to substantial legal liability; or
o the commission of an act or omission that causes the Executive Officer or the Company
Group to be in violation of federal or state securities laws, rules or regulations.
To the fullest extent permitted under applicable law, including without limitation, Section 409A of
the U.S. Internal Revenue Code and the regulations and guidance thereunder, the Board may seek
forfeiture of Covered Compensation in any manner it chooses, including by seeking cash payment from the
Executive Officer, withholding unpaid compensation, set-off (from unpaid compensation, against
planned future grants or otherwise), or rescinding or canceling unvested or vested but unexercised equity
awards.
The Board may consider the costs and benefits of seeking recoupment and, based on that
consideration, exercise discretion in the application and operation of this Section 2.
Administrative Provisions
All determinations of the Board pursuant to this Policy shall be final, conclusive and binding.
Any discretionary determinations of the Board under this Policy, if any, need not be uniform with respect
to all persons, and may be made selectively amongst persons, whether or not such persons are similarly
situated.
Upon a Change in Control (as defined in the Stock Plan), this Policy will be of no further force or
effect unless (i) prior to such Change in Control, the Board expressly authorizes the continuation of this
Policy or, (ii) with respect to Section 1, continuation of the Policy is required by Section 303A.14 of the
NYSE Listed Company Manual (or rules of another applicable national security exchange or national
securities association) and Rule 10D-1 of the Securities Exchange Act.
The provisions in this Policy are intended to be applied to the fullest extent of the law. To the
extent that any provision of this Policy is found to be unenforceable or invalid under any applicable law,
such provision will be applied to the maximum extent permitted and shall automatically be deemed
amended in a manner consistent with its objectives to the extent necessary to conform to applicable
law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this Policy shall not affect the validity or
enforceability of any other provision of this Policy. Recoupment of erroneously awarded compensation
under this Policy is not dependent upon the Company Group satisfying any conditions in this Policy,
including any requirements to provide applicable documentation to the NYSE.
The rights of the Company Group under this Policy to seek forfeiture or reimbursement are in
addition to, and not in lieu of, any rights of recoupment, or remedies or rights other than recoupment, that
may be available to the Company Group pursuant to the terms of any law, government regulation or stock
exchange listing requirement or any other policy, code of conduct, employee handbook, employment
agreement, equity award agreement, or other plan or agreement of the Company Group (together, the
“Clawback Policies”). Any compensation that is recouped or recovered from or reimbursed or forfeited by
any current or former Executive Officer pursuant to the Clawback Policies, will not be subject to
duplicative recoupment, recovery, reimbursement or forfeiture under this Policy.
The Board, based upon the recommendation of the Compensation, People and Culture Committee,
may amend this Policy at any time for any reason, including as required to comply with the rules of the
Securities and Exchange Commission and the NYSE. The exercise by the Board of any rights pursuant to
this Policy shall be without prejudice to any other rights that the Company Group or the Board may have
with respect to any Executive Officer subject to this Policy.
CHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL, INC.
Signed:
Print Name:
Date: