Chipotle starts its service early in the morning and offers both lunch and dinner.
Chipotle was founded by Steve Ells in 1993. Steve took inspiration from taquerías and San Francisco burritos to open the first Chipotle location in Denver, Colorado.
Steve Ells, the company’s creator, honed his culinary chops at New York’s renowned Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. Following that, he relocated to the Golden Gate City to work as a line cook for Jeremiah Tower at Stars. Using the knowledge he gained in San Francisco and a loan of $85,000 from his father, Ells opened the first Chipotle in Denver, Colorado, in 1993, not far from the University of Denver.
After one month, the first restaurant averaged over 1,000 daily burrito sales, much beyond the 107 burritos-per-day profit threshold that Ells and his father had calculated. After the success of the first Chipotle, Ells planned to use the money to open a more upscale restaurant. Nonetheless, he switched his focus to Chipotle Mexican Grill after seeing its expansion opportunities.
Chipotle has more than 2,400 locations as of the end of 2017. Chipotle does not offer franchises because it is committed to preserving its unique culture and to utilizing only environmentally friendly ingredients.
McDonald’s Investment
McDonald’s first invested in the firm in a minority capacity in 1998. The company’s growth allowed it to become Chipotle’s single biggest investor by 2001. Fast food giant McDonald’s financed the company’s meteoric rise from a meager 16 locations in 1998 to well over 500 by 2005.
McDonald sold all of its shares in Chipotle in October 2006. To concentrate on its primary business, McDonald’s has been working to sell off its subsidiary businesses, including Chipotle, Donatos Pizza, and Boston Market.
After McDonald’s divestiture, Chipotle repurchased all its franchisees and returned them to corporate control. The year 2007 saw Chipotle’s first public offering.
The company is named after chipotle, also called Chipotle, which is a dried jalapeño chill pepper, which is a common ingredient used in Tex-Mex cuisine, and is one of the more widely peppers used in Chipotle’s meals.
You can find out more about Chipotle by visiting the official website here.
Which Countries have a Chipotle Restaurant?
You can find Chipotle restaurants in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, and France. It has a total of 2966 locations as of December 2021, with 443 of them in California alone, 11 in London, and 28 in Canada.
Despite the restaurant’s Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine, it does not have any locations in Mexico or any other Latin American country.
What is Different About Chipotle?
The first thing that sets Chipotle apart from other giant restaurant chains is its commitment to high-quality and healthy ingredients. All of their food is made fresh every day, without the use of freezers or microwaves, and contain no artificial flavorings or colorings.
The other advantage of Chipotle is consistency. Their menu does not change often – making sure you’ll always be able to eat your favorite meal instead of getting surprised with a sudden menu item removal. This also guarantees that the employees' training is easier and their performance always consistent, since they do not need to constantly retrain to prepare new dishes, meaning you can always expect quality from your orders.
Is Chipotle Spicy?
Despite being named after a pepper and having their cuisine rooted in Mexican food, most Chipotle menu items are only slightly spicy, and you can completely remove any spiciness depending on your choice of toppings. But if you like the heat, you can increase how spicy it is by ordering their hot sauce or asking for extra jalapeños in your guacamole.
What can I order at Chipotle Mexican Grill?
1. Carnitas Burrito
You can’t go wrong with a carnitas burrito if you’re looking for Chipotle’s most excellent dish. In all honesty, the burritos are their most popular chipotle menu item for several reasons: they’re enormous, the tortillas they use are always soft and warm, and the variety of ingredients available makes each burrito a unique culinary experience.
2. Burrito Bowl with Chicken
The chicken burrito bowl is one of Chipotle’s best-selling dishes for a good reason: it tastes great, provides plenty of food, is easy to prepare, and can be made as healthy or unhealthy as you choose. What makes this recipe so fantastic is its flexibility in terms of base ingredients, such as rice or beans, as well as in terms of additional veggies and, if desired, toppings. The chicken burrito bowl is, undoubtedly, one of Chipotle’s most delicate dishes.
3. Barbacoa Tacos
Chipotle isn’t famed for its tacos, as you may recall. The tacos aren’t the most pleasing thing on the Chipotle menu, unless you have them with barbacoa as the meat. Again, when ordering tacos, it’s essential to specify a soft shell tortilla and use a few ingredients for the filling. Use cheese and Pico de Gallo with the barbacoa; guacamole on the side is always a good idea.
4. Salad with Barbacoa
Chipotle’s barbacoa is impressive once again. Although it’s higher in fat and calories than some of the other protein choices, the increased taste justifies the trade-off. Therefore, a barbacoa salad is a way to go. A Chipotle salad, if you will. Although the barbacoa may make more of a mess due to its oiliness, the salad will stay crisp and fresh if eaten all at once.
5. Steak Quesadilla
Steak quesadillas are just as filling as their chicken counterparts at Chipotle. They’re a suitable alternative if you’re not desiring a massive burrito or have more selective eating habits. Due to its naturally higher fat content, steak is a fantastic addition to the cheesy quesadilla. However, because of its high-fat content, eating it as part of a balanced meal that includes beans and rice with a single dipping sauce is not a bad idea.
How Do I Order Food at Chipotle?
When ordering food in person at one of their locations, you’ll need to go straight to their counter area (and wait in line if there are other customers ahead of you). The counter will divide you and the attendants and cooks by a glass window, through which you can see the different ingredients – toppings, meats, etc.
When it comes to your time in line to make your order, you’ll make your order in X steps:
1. Choose what the base of your order will be (burrito, taco, bowl, salad, etc.).
2. Select your protein (chicken, carnitas, veggie, etc.)
3. Select your rice type (white, brown, none)
4. Select your types of beans (black, pinto, none)
5. Select your toppings (Tomato salsa, red chili salsa, cheese, lettuce, queso blanco, etc)
6. Optionally choose sides (chips, extra tortilla, etc.)
7. Optionally choose a drink (juice, soda, etc)
As you make your choices, you watch as your order gets put together right in front of you behind the glass wall as the employee scoops your choice of ingredients into the meal. Once the order is complete, you just have to pay at the cashier and enjoy your delicious meal.
You can also order online through their website’s “order” page or their official mobile phone app, available for both iOS and Android.
Does Chipotle Cater to Vegetarians?
Yes. Chipotle offers both vegetarian and vegan options, and you are not forced to pick meat-based toppings. Some vegan ingredients you can put in your meal include rice, beans, bell peppers and onions, green chili salad, tortilla chips, and more.
In early 2022, they’ve also added the plant-based chorizo to their menu that is created with pea protein and spices, including the chipotle pepper. The chorizo is also gluten-free and soy-free.
Yes, they have a full kid’s menu with kids' meal options, including Kid’s Quesadilla, Kid’s Build Your Own, apple juice, and chocolate milk. The meal is served on a food tray that is similar to Japanese bento boxes or middle school lunchrooms.
What Are Chipotle’s Opening Hours?
Chipotle opens at 10:45 am and closes at 10 pm every day of the week, including the weekend. But make sure to check on your local Chipotle location, since they may have slightly different hours.
Is Chipotle Healthy?
Chipotle is unquestionably one of the healthiest food chains in the market. With fresh products, no use of artificial flavorings, and orders that typically have less than 1,000 calories, they’re a good choice if you’re looking to eat out healthily.
And some of their dishes, like the guacamole, are particularly healthy because of how many micronutrients and vitamins they contain, such as vitamin B5 and vitamin K.
Moreover, their build-your-own meal model ensures that you can pick the healthiest options for you, instead of being forced on a pre-determined set of unhealthy ingredients.
Is Chipotle Halal?
Chipotle is not Halal. But that does not completely stop you from eating at Chipotle since they offer vegan and vegetarian options as mentioned previously.
Can I Cook Chipotle At Home?
You can try cooking recipes that mimic Chipotle ingredients and cooking, but they do not offer products for home use like Chipotle sauce bottles or marinades.
Is Chipotle healthy or not?
You may have heard that a Chipotle meal may contain 1,000 calories. However, if you wonder whether you can still enjoy your favorite restaurant, the answer is “yes.” Like any other business, the fast-food joint has both good and bad alternatives. The primary problem with ordering from Chipotle if you’re trying to eat healthily is that the healthy options are served in much smaller amounts than the less healthy ones.
It’s understandable to spend a little more on lunch if you want something more satisfying. Double or even quadruple the fajita vegetables, pile on the romaine lettuce, and use every last drop of salsa for a flavorful, nutrient-rich, and calorie-conscious addition.
What is Chipotle trying to do now?
There are over 2,500 Chipotle restaurants, all company-owned, as of the most recently available statistics. To put it in perspective, Taco Bell has over 7,000 locations, Qdoba has roughly 700, and Rubio’s has around 200. Chipotle is just one of several fast food franchises working hard to improve its technology, marketing, and customer service to compete with Domino’s Pizza and Taco Bell. As such, they faced an uphill battle, even before they spent the better part of the previous several years reenacting critical scenes from the Dustin Hoffman movie Outbreak.