"When a chain restaurant reaches the sort of ubiquity that this one has - with over 3,700 locations spread across not just the U.S., but also a handful of other countries around the world - it almost becomes hard to imagine that it could ever have been just one solitary establishment. But even fast-casual empires must start somewhere. For Chipotle Mexican Grill, that somewhere is a small restaurant at the corner of Evans Avenue and South Gilpin Street in the heart of Denver, Colorado."
"In 1993, just a few blocks away from the University of Denver campus, Steve Ells opened the first Chipotle restaurant with the idea of dishing out high-quality customizable meals at a pace to give fast food giants a run for their money. Ells put his training from the Culinary Institute of America to work in that first restaurant, weaving in culinary experiences of eating Mission-style burritos in San Francisco while he worked as a line cook in the city."
The first Chipotle opened in 1993 at Evans Avenue and South Gilpin Street in Denver, Colorado, a few blocks from the University of Denver campus. Steve Ells applied training from the Culinary Institute of America and experiences eating Mission-style burritos in San Francisco to create a restaurant centered on made-to-order burritos. Ells launched the business with an $85,000 loan from his father. The restaurant prioritized high-quality, customizable meals served quickly, positioning itself against fast-food giants. The concept expanded from one location to thousands, becoming a ubiquitous fast-casual chain with over 3,700 locations including international sites.
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