Chipotle: Steve Ells

How I Built This · 30 Oct 2017 · 50m

What this episode covers

Chipotle founder Steve Ells explains how he used profits from a single burrito shop in Denver to fund his dream of a high-end restaurant, only for the burrito concept to explode into a global chain. Ells details the economic model that attracted McDonald's investment, his decision to reject franchising to maintain control, and the 2015 E. coli crisis that forced a complete overhaul of food safety protocols. He also discusses the importance of sourcing ingredients like Nyman Ranch pork and the leadership challenges of scaling from a chef to a CEO.

Mentioned

Companies
Chipotle, McDonald's, Nyman Ranch, Zesty Z the Za'atar Company, Stars Restaurant, Culinary Institute of America, U.S. Bank
Also
Jeremiah Tower, Steve Ells, Alexander Harik

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