One of the world’s first “fast casual” dining establishments, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. is a restaurant chain located throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, and France that specializes in burritos, tacos, and other Mexican food specialties. Currently based in Denver, Colorado, Chipotle was founded in 1993 by Steve Ells and had a net income of $327.4 million last year. McDonald’s Corporation was a major investor from 1998 until 2006, when the company went public, helping the chain grow from only 16 restaurants at the time to more than 1,600 worldwide locations today and a current market cap of $20.61 billion. Read on to find out five things you might not know about Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.
5. The Restaurant’s Music
The music you hear in each Chipotle restaurant is actually cultivated by DJ Christopher Golub, a Brooklyn native who bases his music choices on everything from Chipotle’s unique vibe to the acoustics of its concrete floors. Chipotle’s musical identity can range anywhere from Tom Waits to Radiohead to Peter Tosh, while the restaurant’s 500-song playlists are switched out every month to keep things fresh.
4. Chipotle’s Marketing Approach
In the beginning, Chipotle did everything a fast-food restaurant wasn’t supposed to do when it came to marketing–a custom it still holds to this day. The company has no franchises, rarely runs television ads, and is in no rush to cut down on its rush hour wait. Chipotle continues to take a minimalist approach to advertising and promotion, while ads like 2013’s “The Scarecrow” have garnered numerous national awards and mainstream attention.
3. The “Secret” Guacamole Recipe
Nearly 100,000 avocados are used every day in Chipotle’s famous guacamole. Last year, an ex-employee of the company released the “secret” guacamole recipe during a Reddit AMA. Although it may need to be scaled down a bit in size, the recipe is as follows: 48 normal sized avocados, 2.5 cups of diced red onions, 2.5 cups of 1/4-inch flake cilantro, 1 cup of diced jalapeños, 1/2 cup of lime juice (added before mashing), and 3 to 3.5 tablespoons of salt.
2. Steve Ells is a Professional Chef
Steven Ells, the founder of Chipotle, attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. During his post-grad time as a line cook for Jeremiah Tower in San Francisco, California, Ells observed the extreme popularity of local taquerías and San Francisco burritos in the Mission District. He eventually took what he learned to Denver, Colorado, where he opened the first Chipotle in a former ice cream shop off of a loan from his father.
1. The “Food with Integrity” Philosophy
In 2001, Chipotle released a mission statement titled Food with Integrity, which highlighted the company’s efforts to increase their use of natural and organic meat, produce, and dairy products. The company supports family farms as well, holding contracts with a number of Midwest farms for naturally raised pork and other livestock. Chipotle’s “Food with Integrity” mission is their “commitment to finding the very best ingredients raised with respect for the animals, the environment, and the farmers.”
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