SCOTT BOATWRIGHT
CEO
CHIPOTLE MEXICAN GRILL
WHY: Oversees Orange County’s second-largest public company with a market cap of $39B as of early November. Chipotle is second largest OC-based restaurant chain, by sales. Counts more than 125K employees and 3.6K restaurants. For 2025, Chipotle plans to open between 315 and 345 new restaurants, maintaining an annual growth rate of 8% to 10%. Pushing international expansion this year. Visionary behind chain’s successful Chipotlanes.
IN THE NEWS: The former chief operating officer was named CEO of the fast-casual Newport Beach-based chain in November 2024—three months after Brian Niccol left to become the chief executive of Starbucks. Told the Business Journal that he and Niccol, who runs Starbucks from a nearby office in Newport Beach, meet weekly to talk shop.
NOTABLE: Spent 18 years at Arby’s Restaurant Group before coming to Chipotle in 2017, where he was responsible for improving customer experience and enhancing overall operational efficiency. Credited for leading new tech integration and achieving “industry-leading” retention rates as COO.
QUOTABLE: “I’d rather spend my on-duty time at Chipotle Mexican Grill either in restaurants with our people and our team members, or at the innovation center talking about how we can make it more easily executable or scalable as a business.”
