Where are diners headed who want a quick, affordable meal? Chipotle and McDonald's retain their reign as leaders in the fast-food sector, according to Placer.ai, which looked at numbers as the first half of 2023 ended. But diners heading to both aren't just value seekers. They're customers hungry for quality, some of whom may have fatter wallets but also seek new tastes and concepts offered. 

Chipotle's avocado-cutting robot helped draw attention but so did its 250 new outlets in smaller cities and college towns—the vast majority with pickup windows that are app-powered to help the company save money on third-party delivery fees, avoid price increases and maximize brand efficiency. The Newport Beach, Calif.-based company founded 30 years ago, focuses on bowls, tacos and Mission burritos made to order in front of customers. 

Altogether the chain, officially known as Chipotle Mexican Grill, posted increased Year-over-Year visits in all months with June up per venue 8.4%, which were higher than a year ago. They were also more than four times higher than the 2.1% visit per venue growth of its category during the same period.