Boloco: Is this growth concept Chipotle 2.0?Boloco: Is this growth concept Chipotle 2.0?

Marcella Veneziale

Boloco, an 18-unit fast-casual burrito chain based in Boston, has drawn comparisons to Chipotle, but chief financial officer and chief operating officer Patrick Renna says the concept has some distinct differences.

Boloco offers what Renna calls “globally inspired burritos” — in such varieties as Buffalo chicken, Thai and Chinese chicken salad — in three sizes: a traditional 20-ounce, small 16-ounce and miniature.

Its early adoption of new technologies has also helped Boloco stand out. Nation’s Restaurant News spoke with Renna at the ICR XChange in January on plans to add six new units, why the company has never been afraid to invest in technology, and how it uses social media as a tool to create dialogue, rather than advertise.

Contact Marcella Veneziale at [email protected].