Chipotle Mexican Grill facts for kids
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| Public | |
| Traded as | |
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Founded | July 13, 1993 |
| Founder | Steve Ells |
| Headquarters | Newport Beach, California, U.S. |
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Number of locations
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3,726 (2024) |
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Area served
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Key people
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| Products | |
| Revenue |  US$11.31 billion (2024) |
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Operating income
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US$1.916 billion (2024) |
| US$1.534 billion (2024) |
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| Total assets | US$9.204 billion (2024) |
| Total equity | US$3.656 billion (2024) |
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Number of employees
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130,504 (2024) |
| Subsidiaries |
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Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (often called Chipotle) is a big American restaurant chain. It makes bowls, tacos, and burritos right in front of you. As of March 31, 2025, Chipotle has almost 3,800 restaurants. The name "Chipotle" comes from a word for a smoked jalapeño pepper.
Chipotle was one of the first "fast casual" restaurants. This means it serves food quickly, like fast food, but uses fresh, high-quality ingredients. Steve Ells started Chipotle on July 13, 1993. He wanted to show that fresh food could be served fast.
Chipotle had 16 restaurants when McDonald's Corporation invested in it in 1998. By 2006, when McDonald's sold its share, Chipotle had grown to over 500 locations.
How Chipotle Started and Grew
Steve Ells learned about cooking at a special school. He then worked as a chef in San Francisco. There, he saw how popular taquerías (taco shops) and burrito places were.
In 1993, Ells used what he learned to open the first Chipotle in Denver, Colorado. He got a loan from his father to start it. They hoped to sell 107 burritos a day to make money. After just one month, the restaurant was selling over 1,000 burritos daily!
- The second Chipotle opened in 1995.
- The third opened with a small business loan.
- Ells' father invested more money to help the company grow.
Ells had planned to open a fancy restaurant. But Chipotle was so successful that he decided to focus on it instead.
Expanding Across the Country
In 1998, the first Chipotle outside Colorado opened in Kansas City, Missouri. That same year, McDonald's invested in Chipotle. This helped Chipotle grow very quickly. It went from 16 restaurants in 1998 to over 500 by 2005.
In 2006, Chipotle became a public company. This means its shares could be bought and sold on the stock market. McDonald's then sold all its shares in Chipotle. McDonald's wanted to focus only on its main restaurant chain.
In 2008, Chipotle opened its first restaurant outside the United States in Toronto, Canada.
New Leaders and Growth
In 2009, Chipotle was ranked among the fastest-growing restaurant chains. In 2011, Consumer Reports said Chipotle was the best Mexican fast-food chain. The company serves about 750,000 customers every day.
In 2018, Chipotle announced it was moving its main office to Newport Beach, California. This was after 25 years in Denver. Later that year, the company started testing "Chipotlane." This is like a drive-thru, but only for picking up orders placed online or through the app. You can't order food at the window. By 2023, there were over 500 Chipotlanes.
In 2020, Steve Ells left the company completely. In 2023, Chipotle announced plans to hire 15,000 new workers. They also planned to expand to 7,000 locations, which would double their size.
In 2024, Chipotle announced they were working on a new machine called Autocado. This machine can peel and cut an avocado in less than 30 seconds. This could help make guacamole faster.
Trying New Kinds of Food
In the 2010s, Chipotle tried to open other types of restaurants. These included:
- ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen (Asian food)
- Pizzeria Locale (pizza)
- Tasty Made (burgers)
- Farmesa (California-inspired bowls)
None of these new restaurants were as successful as Chipotle. So, they were all eventually closed.
How Chipotle Works
Money and Ownership
Chipotle is mostly owned by large investment groups. These groups own about 89% of all the company's shares.
Company Leaders
Chipotle has a team of managers and a board of directors. These people help make important decisions for the company.
In 2018, Brian Niccol became the new CEO of Chipotle. Steve Ells remained the chairman for a while. In 2020, Ells left the company entirely. Brian Niccol then became the chairman.
In August 2024, Scott Boatwright became the interim CEO. In November 2024, he was named the permanent CEO.
How Restaurants Operate
All Chipotle restaurants are owned by the company itself. They are not franchised (owned by other people). As of December 2012, there were 1430 restaurants in the United States and Canada.
Chipotle has a special team that helps new restaurants open. They train new managers to get ready for new locations. The main office finds and pays for new restaurant spots.
Chipotle Around the World
Chipotle has restaurants in several countries outside the United States. These include Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates.
Canada
Chipotle opened its first international location in Toronto, Canada, in 2008. There are now 26 stores in Ontario, 16 in British Columbia, and 2 in Alberta.
United Kingdom
The first European Chipotle opened in London in May 2010. By February 2024, there were 19 locations in the UK, mostly in London.
France
The first Chipotle in France opened in Paris in May 2012. In 2014, a restaurant in La Défense became the largest Chipotle in the world. It was about 7,000 square feet. A typical Chipotle is usually around 2,200 to 2,500 square feet.
Germany
The first Chipotle in Germany opened in Frankfurt in August 2013.
What's on the Menu?
Chipotle's menu has five main items: burritos, bowls, tacos, quesadillas, and salads. You choose your main ingredient like chicken, pork, steak, or tofu. Then you can add free toppings like rice, beans, salsa, vegetables, sour cream, cheese, and lettuce.
Most of the food is prepared fresh in each restaurant. They don't use freezers, microwave ovens, or can openers.
Chipotle also offers a children's menu. Most restaurants sell beer and margaritas, along with soft drinks.
Healthy Choices
Chipotle offers many vegetarian options. These include rice, black beans, fajita vegetables, salsa, guacamole, and cheese. All items except the meats, cheese, sour cream, and honey dressing are vegan. In 2013, Chipotle changed how they cook their pinto beans, making them vegetarian and vegan-friendly.
In 2014, Chipotle started offering "sofritas," which is a tofu-based option. In 2022, they also tested a plant-based chorizo.
Ordering Food
You can order Chipotle food in person, by fax, or online. In 2009, Chipotle released an app for the iPhone. In 2013, they released an Android app. These apps let you find locations, place orders, and pay ahead of time.
In 2021, Chipotle even sold cilantro soap as a fun, limited-edition item!
Food Sourcing and Quality
Chipotle tries to use "Food With Integrity." This means they try to use naturally raised meat, organic produce, and dairy without added hormones.
In 2012, Chipotle signed an agreement with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. This group works to improve conditions for farmworkers. Chipotle agreed to pay a little extra for tomatoes to help farmworkers' wages.
In 2015, Chipotle stopped using genetically modified corn and soybeans in their foods. They said they were the first nationwide restaurant to cook completely GMO-free.
Food Safety and Health Concerns
Chipotle has faced some challenges with food safety. Because they use fresh ingredients and traditional cooking methods, they have said they might have a higher risk for food-borne illnesses.
After some health issues in 2015, Chipotle closed all its restaurants nationwide for a few hours. This was for an all-staff meeting about food safety. They hired a new food safety expert. They also made changes like having employees wash hands more often and treating produce with hot water to kill germs.
In July 2018, a large number of people became sick after eating at a Chipotle in Ohio. This was caused by a bacteria called Clostridium perfringens.
Advertising and Fun Promotions
Chipotle often uses billboards, radio ads, and word-of-mouth to advertise. They also give out free food to new customers. On Halloween, they sometimes offer special deals if you dress up in a costume.
In 2013, Chipotle released an animated short film called The Scarecrow. It was critical of industrial farming.
Chipotle has sponsored sports teams and events. In 2023, they announced a sponsorship deal with the MoneyGram Haas F1 Team. Their logo is now on the team's race cars and driver suits.
Restaurant Design
Chipotle restaurants often have a similar look. They use materials like plywood, metal, and stainless steel. The inside often looks "industrial." Each store is unique, but they share common design elements.
The first Chipotle restaurant is near the University of Denver. Most Chipotle locations show a photo of this original restaurant. The original location, however, has a photo of the ice cream store that was there before it.
Chipotle tries to be environmentally friendly. They use recycled materials for packaging. Some restaurants have solar panels or wind turbines to help power them. A Chipotle in Gurnee, Illinois, even has a special certification for being a "green" building.
Images for kids
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A typical meal at Soul Daddy
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A ShopHouse lunch bowl
See also
In Spanish: Chipotle Mexican Grill para niños
