Chipotle's Newest Business Venture Was the Last Thing Investors Expected

Chipotle Mexican Grill's (CMG -1.33%) cilantro has long been a topic of debate among its customers, and the company recently decided to play into the hype surrounding this ingredient with an unexpected and ingenious twist. The company just launched cilantro-scented soap, and customers were so excited that the product promptly sold out. In this segment of Backstage Pass, recorded on Dec. 3, Fool contributors Toby Bordelon, Rachel Warren, and Jose Najarro discuss.  

Toby Bordelon: This is one that Rachel brought to us. It's a little bit of fun as we head into the weekend. Tell me what's going on here Rachel because [laughs] you sent me this article where apparently Chipotle is selling a cilantro soap and people actually are buying this thing. What's the deal here? What's going on?

Rachel Warren: I saw this story on CNN and it just totally cracked me up. I guess the cilantro at Chipotle has been a matter of great controversy for a long time. For whatever reason, I don't know why exactly. But Chipotle had posted a photo of a cilantro soap bar on Instagram in August.

I think a lot of people thought it was a joke and they got all this engagement. Well, fast-forward to now, Chipotle has launched a cilantro soap bar made of organic oils and coriander essential oil. It costs $8 a bar, and it's already sold out a day after its launch. [laughs] I guess people are really into that scent as a soap. I don't know. This one cracked me up. [laughs]

Bordelon: Already sold out. So you're saying I can't go pick up a bar for like a white elephant gift for a holiday party. That's too bad.

Warren: Maybe when they restock you can do that. [LAUGHTER]

Bordelon: I got a party on Saturday as a matter of fact, this would have been an awesome thing to bring. [LAUGHTER] But look, speaking of that we are in the holiday season guys. We got scented things like soap bath, bombs, etc.

Those are popular gifts like for your wives and girlfriends and moms and all that. Candles are a big thing in the holidays. I love candles. Tell me this as we close out here, what's one scented soap or candle that you think some companies should make and sell that you'd want to buy this holiday season? Rachel, what have you got?

Warren: For me this is already like a common scent I guess but anything with like a chocolate scent to it, like hot fudge, hot chocolate. Another one is mulled wine. I love drinking mulled wine in this time of year, so one that smells like that I would buy both of those.

Bordelon: What do you think Jose? 

Jose Najarro: For me, I think smell is probably one of the last things I notice. I think it's always first like eyesight and hearing and taste. I don't want it to be something food-related because then I would want to eat it. I rather want to eat if I smell something good.

For me, I thought maybe Disney could do like, which is weird, I'm a huge Star Wars fan, but maybe like random scents of like how one of their planet smells like or just something. A new way to get involved in that Star Wars universe. This is how this planet smells like. Just something interesting and fun to just get more immersed into the Star Wars universe or something like that.

Bordelon: The smell of the Cantina on Tatooine for the holidays. Sounds nice. [laughs]

Warren: I would totally buy that. [laughs]

Bordelon: There you go. There you go. You know what? I'm going to go sort of along the line with you Rachel, I would buy a spiced rum and cider candle. I think Sam Adams should sell this. They're already getting into ready-to-drink spirit-based beverages, it kind of fits. Honestly they have not had a great [laughs] last couple of quarters. They need to juice their sales and maybe this will help, who knows.