17 Awesome Facts You Didn't Know About Chipotle

    FYI, it's pronounced chee-POAT-lay.

    Justin Abarca
    by Justin Abarca

    BuzzFeed Staff

    1. Steven Ells, Chipotle's founder, started the first restaurant as a way to fund his dream of opening a fine-dining restaurant.

    Jason Kempin / Via Getty Images

    The first restaurant opened on July 13, 1993 in Denver, Colo. Fortunately for us, his small taqueria started to make a ton of money and the rest, as they say, is burrito history.

    2. You get about 70% more food if you order a burrito bowl with a tortilla on the side.

    businessinsider.com / Via Creative Commons

    According to Business Insider, if a massive burrito is your goal, ordering it this way ensures you get more bang for the same price.

    3. On Halloween, Chipotle offers discounted "Booritos" to those who come dressed up.

    Flickr: tomarthur / Via Creative Commons

    4. McDonald's was an investor in the company, before divesting in 2006.

    Flickr: mikeycouture / Via Creative Commons

    It seems Ronald and friends wanted to focus on their burgers and fries, which some believe was a huge mistake.

    5. The minimalist, raw look of the first restaurant was due to having to create it on a budget.

    Flickr: z0 / Via Creative Commons

    With many of the furnishings coming from a local hardware store.

    6. There are Chipotle coins floating around that are good for one free burrito.

    Via reddit.com

    You can buy them on eBay, but for $22.50 you're probably better off just buying a burrito(s) the old fashioned way.

    7. The music you hear in each restaurant has been cultivated by DJ Christopher Golub.

    Flickr: joeshlabotnik / Via Creative Commons

    Plus, each playlist is about 500 songs and is switched out every month.

    8. It takes around 60 avocados to make one batch of fresh Chipotle guacamole.

    Flickr: somewhatfrank / Via Creative Commons

    They also use close to 97,000 lbs. of avocado daily.

    9. None of the restaurants are franchised, all being company owned.

    Flickr: crazyoctopus / Via Creative Commons

    So, sorry if you had a dream of opening your very own little slice of heaven.

    10. Want to order a burrito bowl on the go? There's an app for that.

    Via itunes.apple.com

    11. The company's "Food With Integrity" philosophy was created after owner Steven Ells read an article by writer Edward Behr.

    reddit.com / Via youtube.com

    This prompted Ells to visit Confined Animal Feeding Operations, or CAFO, where he saw that the "animals were suffering, raised in giant buildings with no access to the outside, no fresh air." Now, "whenever possible," they use suppliers who do not use added hormones or antibiotics and who treat their animals with dignity.

    12. Chipotle is an official sponsor of both the Boston Celtics and the Boston Bruins.

    Flickr: marirn / Via Creative Commons

    13. Seventy-five of the restaurants are equipped with solar panels, which generate 500 kilowatts of electricity.

    Flickr: 86530412@N02 / Via Creative Commons

    Now that's a bright idea.

    14. The chain decided not to sponsor a Boy Scouts of America event because it violated the company's non-discrimination policy.

    Flickr: vastateparksstaff / Via Creative Commons

    This was due to the BSA’s policy at the time of not allowing openly gay youths to be involved in the organization.

    That stance has since changed, but the inclusion of openly gay scout leaders is still yet to come.

    15. One of the not-so-secret menu items you can ask for nicely are nachos.

    16. If you're extra nice, you can order a quesadilla.

    17. And if you're super duper nice, you can order a quesarito, which is a burrito wrapped in a FREAKIN' QUESADILLA!

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