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Commitments and Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2024
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies Commitments and Contingencies
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.
Shareholder Actions
On November 11, 2024, Michael Stradford filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on behalf of a purported class of purchasers of shares of Chipotle common stock between February 8, 2024 and October 29, 2024. The complaint purports to state claims against Chipotle, former Chief Executive Officer Brian Niccol, and President and Chief Strategy Officer Jack Hartung, who served during the majority of the claimed class period as Chief Financial and Administrative Officer. The complaint asserts claims arising under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Exchange Act and related rules and regulations, based on Chipotle’s alleged failure during the claimed class period to disclose that (1) Chipotle’s entrée portion sizes were inconsistent and allegedly left many guests dissatisfied; (2) in order to address the issue and retain guest loyalty, Chipotle would have to ensure more generous portion sizes, which would increase costs; and (3) as a result, the defendants’ statements about Chipotle's business, operations, and prospects were materially false and misleading. The complaint asserts that as a result, the market price of Chipotle’s stock was artificially inflated during the claimed class period. The complaint seeks damages on behalf of the purported class in an unspecified amount, interest, an award of reasonable costs and attorneys’ fees, and other relief as determined appropriate by the court.
On December 10, 2024, Anand Roy filed a shareholder derivative action in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California alleging that the defendants, members of Chipotle’s Board of Directors and President and Chief Strategy Officer breached their fiduciary duties by making or allowing Chipotle to make allegedly false and misleading statements substantially the same as those alleged in the Stradford matter described above. The complaint further alleges that the defendants breached their fiduciary duties by causing Chipotle to repurchase stock at inflated prices and by engaging in improper insider sales of Chipotle stock. On December 17, 2024, Daniel Rodriguez filed a shareholder derivative action against the same defendants in the same court, making allegations substantially the same as those in the Roy complaint. Each of these actions purports to state a claim for damages on behalf of Chipotle and is based on statements in the company’s SEC filings and related public disclosures, and seeks damages, including punitive damages, in an unspecified amount as well as interest, an award of reasonable costs and attorneys’ fees, and other relief as determined appropriate by the court. On January 23, 2025, the Roy and Rodriguez actions were consolidated into a single derivative lawsuit captioned In re Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. Stockholder Derivative Litigation.
Chipotle intends to defend all of these cases vigorously, but it is not possible at this time to reasonably estimate the outcome of or any potential liability from these cases.
Accrual for Estimated Liability
In relation to various legal matters, we had an accrued legal liability balance of $19,465 and $7,640 included within accrued liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.