What is the Chipotle Mexican Grill?
A: Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc., often known simply as Chipotle, is an
American chain of fast casual restaurants.
They specialize in what?
A: Bowls, tacos and Mission burritos made to order in front of the customer.
Chipotle operates restaurants in the United States, and
what other countries?
A: The United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, and France.
Its name derives from chipotle, the Nahuatl name for
what?
A: A smoked and dried jalapeño chili pepper.
Chipotle was one of the first chains of what?
A: Fast casual dining establishments.
Who founded it?
A: It was founded by Steve Ells.
When was it founded?
A: On July 13, 1993.
How many restaurants did Chipotle have when McDonald's
Corporation became a major investor in 1998?
A: 16 restaurants.
By the time McDonald's fully divested itself from
Chipotle in 2006, the chain had grown to how many locations?
A: Over 500.
In 2015, with more than 2,000 locations, Chipotle had a
net income of how much?
A: US$475.6 million.
How many employees did it have?
A: More than 45,000 employees.
In May 2018, Chipotle announced the relocation of their
corporate headquarters to where?
A: Newport Beach, California, in Southern California, ending their
relationship with Denver after 25 years.
Steve Ells attended what in Hyde Park, New York?
A: The Culinary Institute of America.
Afterward, he became what?
A: A line cook for Jeremiah Tower at Stars in San Francisco.
There, Ells observed the popularity of what?
A: The taquerías and San Francisco burritos in the Mission District.
In 1993, Ells took what he learned in San Francisco and
opened what?
A: The first Chipotle Mexican Grill.
Where was it located?
A: In Denver, Colorado, in a former Dolly Madison
Ice Cream store at 1644
East Evans Avenue, near the University of Denver campus.
How did he finance it?
A: With an $85,000 loan from his father.
Ells and his father calculated that the store would
need to sell how man burritos per day to be profitable?
A: 107 burritos.
After one month, the original restaurant was selling
how many burritos a day?
A: Over 1,000.
The second store opened in 1995 using Chipotle's cash
flow, and the third was opened using what?
A: An SBA loan.
To fund additional growth, Ells' father invested how
much?
A: $1.5 million.
Afterwards, Ells created what?
A: A board of directors and business plan, raising an additional $1.8
million for the company.
Ells had originally planned to use funds from the first
Chipotle to open what?
A: A fine-dining restaurant, but instead focused on Chipotle Mexican Grill
when the restaurants saw success.
In 1998, the first restaurant outside of Colorado
opened in what location?
A: Kansas City,
Missouri.
The company opened its first location in
Minnesota by
opening near what?
A: The campus of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis in March 1999.
In 1998, who made an initial minority investment in the
company?
A: McDonald's.
By 2001, the company had grown to be Chipotle's what?
A: Largest investor.
The investment from McDonald's allowed the firm to do
what?
A: To quickly expand, from 16 restaurants in 1998 to over 500 by 2005.
