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Steve Ells    

Founder, Chairman and Co-CEO of Chipotle

When Steve Ells, founder, chairman and co-CEO of Chipotle, opened the first Chipotle in Denver in 1993, he had a novel idea - to demonstrate that food served fast didn't have to be a typical fast food experience. Today, he and Chipotle are changing the way people think about and eat fast food. With a commitment to using ingredients from more sustainable sources - including naturally raised meat, organic and locally grown produce, as well as dairy products made with milk from cows that are not given synthetic hormones - Ells and Chipotle are leading a revolution to make great food affordable and accessible so everyone can eat better.

Ells, a classically trained chef, has received considerable praise for his vision and leadership at Chipotle. The New York Times proclaimed that Chipotle provides "a chance to witness - and taste - a shift in American fast food," and Newsweek called him "an environmental champion" for his commitment to supporting sustainable agriculture.

In 2006, Chipotle's prominence as a company was recognized when it became one of the most successful initial public offerings of the year. Its leadership and success in business has prompted accolades from a new universe of sources, including the Wall Street Journal which said, "Chipotle has arguably become the country's most successful fast-food chain"; SustainableBusiness.com which named Chipotle one of the "world's top 20 sustainable stocks" two years in a row (2007 and 2008); and the Motley Fool, which called it the "most socially responsible company" in 2008.

Ells holds a bachelor's degree in art history from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, New York.

News


1 Chipotle investors looking to oust founder Steve Ells as chairman
On Tuesday, Amalgamated Bank and CtW Investment Group (two company shareholders) filed a proposal calling for Steve Ells, the burrito chain's founder, to be ...
PHOTOS: You can buy Chipotle founder Steve Ells' house – The ...
PHOTOS: You can buy Chipotle founder Steve Ells' house. The Modern house that foil-wrapped burritos built blurs lines between indoors and out ...
Chipotle Makes Founder Steve Ells Its Sole CEO As Monty Moran ...
Chipotle said Monday that it is making founder Steve Ells its sole CEO. Monty Moran, with whom Ells has split CEO duties since 2009, has stepped down from ...
Chipotle founder Ells becomes sole CEO
Steve Ells, who founded Chipotle Mexican Grill in 1993, will again become CEO of the burrito chain.
Chipotle's Steve Ells Talks About Haters - Business Insider
But Ells said that many thought his idea of making burritos and tacos from a few fresh ingredients wouldn't work. On an earnings conference call, Ells described ...
Steve Ells, Chipotle Founder, Reflects On McDonald's, GMOs And ...
On July 13, 1993, a 28-year-old chef opened an 850-square-foot taqueria on Evans Avenue near the University of Denver. He had no great ambitions for the ...

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