Sunday, September 21, 2008
Food, Q&A

Chipotle Mexican Grill

Committed to serving “food with integrity,” Chipotle Mexican Grill proves that fast food doesn’t have to be unhealthy

By Hope S. Philbrick

Committed to serving “food with integrity,” Chipotle Mexican Grill proves that fast food doesn’t have to be unhealthy. Last year, when it stopped serving dairy products from cows treated with the synthetic hormone rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone), Chipotle became the first restaurant company in the United States to become fully rBGH-free. (Use of the synthetic hormone that stimulates milk production in dairy cattle is banned in 25 European countries, as well as Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan—but not, as of yet, in the U.S.) Of the move, Chipotle founder, chairman and CEO Steve Ells said in a release, “It’s better for our customers, better for the animals, and better for the food system.” To learn how customers have responded, The Sunday Paper recently talked with Nipul Patel, restaurateur at Chipotle’s Mall of Georgia location.

Q How have customers responded to the news about Chipotle becoming rBGH-free? Do most people even know?

A Surprisingly, it’s been great. We have customers who actually come in and ask our employees who are working on the line, “What does that mean?” It’s fun to see. And they’ll actually bring in other customers. It’s not the only thing Chipotle has done to insure we serve food with integrity. Chipotle has all natural meat, which has always gotten a very good customer response. Customers know they’re putting good food in their bodies and so it’s better for them. I think everyone nowadays is going through a health craze, and Chipotle is a healthy restaurant that goes a step further: Not only are all ingredients fresh, but they’re healthier, too. It works well for us.

What does “food with integrity” mean?
That just means we use the best ingredients, go the extra mile, and just do the right thing. We’re responsible to make sure that we provide healthy food to our customers. Better food benefits everyone from Chipotle to consumers to farmers to animals. Overall, it’s a great way to run a restaurant.

    Dairy that’s rBGH-free means that the animals are not given any additional hormones; it’s all natural. Before rolling out the change, we worked with dairy farmers to make sure they’re able to provide enough sour cream and cheese to our Chipotle restaurant network. In addition, our meat is naturally raised and our animals are vegetarian-fed with no added growth hormones in their diet—that’s better for the animals and in turn, we get better food. Our beans are at least 25 percent organic. I’m sure Chipotle will work to get as much organic produce as possible, as the company is always looking for ways to improve the food.

    Chipotle doesn’t franchise, so all locations are corporate-owned. Quality control is a very big thing. From lettuce to beans to meat, we ensure we have the best product that we can possibly have.

When we first open a store, employees get intensive training. Managers work on the job shoulder-to-shoulder with employees. There’s a lot of contact and ongoing education.

    All of our stores are kept as clean as possible, with cleaning done throughout the shift. Cleaning and food preparation guidelines are provided by Chipotle, with observations made by management staff and crew members.

What’s your background?
I’ve always worked in the restaurant business. I started at Domino’s Pizza and then Vocelli Pizza—they’re based out of Pittsburgh and have 150 locations. Chipotle had an open call for interviews, and I went. It seemed like a really fun company to work for, and it’s been great. I’m originally from the north Virginia Beach area but decided to take a chance and come to Atlanta. I was working for Chipotle in Virginia Beach but transferred to Atlanta in 2005 to open the Mall of Georgia location. We’ve been open 10 months. SP
For more information, visit www.chipotle.com.