When I opened the first Chipotle in Denver, Colorado I certainly didn’t have any intention of opening more than just one restaurant. I just wanted to build a place where you could eat delicious food made of the finest ingredients quickly and affordably. As it turns out, it was an idea people could get behind.
As Chipotle began to grow and expand, I learned quite a bit about the way most of the food in the US is produced and processed --- and what I learned was pretty grim. Pigs are raised in stark confinement, produce is grown on vast factory farms with little or no regard for the environment, and dairy cows are confined and injected with hormones that can make them ill in an effort to increase their milk production.
But I also learned that there is a better way. I met ranchers and farmers dedicated to raising livestock and growing produce using responsible, respectful, and sustainable techniques. By partnering with these producers we have increased the amount of naturally raised meats and responsibly grown produce we purchase exponentially.
We are proud of our accomplishments, but there is still a long way to go.
"Food with Integrity" is our commitment to always look closer, dig deeper, and work harder to ensure that our actions are making things better, not worse. It’s our promise to run our business in a way that doesn’t exploit animals, people or the environment. It is the philosophy that guides every decision we make at Chipotle.
Thanks for your support, and check back on our progress. We are excited about what the future holds.
Steve Ells