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Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.

Fast Casual RestaurantsFounded 1993
Reviewed by Swet Parvadiya
Company data updated: October 2026

Founders

Who Founded Chipotle Mexican Grill?

Steve Ells · Founded 1993 · HQ today: Newport Beach, California

Who founded Chipotle Mexican Grill?

Chipotle Mexican Grill was founded by Steve Ells in 1993 in Denver, United States. It is now led by Scott Boatwright.

Founders
Steve Ells
Founded
1993
Headquarters
Newport Beach, California
Number of founders
1
Current CEO
Scott Boatwright (since 2024)
Where was Chipotle Mexican Grill founded?
Chipotle Mexican Grill was founded in Denver, United States in 1993. wikidata.org
When was Chipotle Mexican Grill founded?
Chipotle Mexican Grill was founded in 1993.
Who started Chipotle Mexican Grill?
Chipotle Mexican Grill was founded by Steve Ells.
How old is Chipotle Mexican Grill?
Chipotle Mexican Grill is 33 years old as of 2026.

Founding Story

Steve Ells, a Culinary Institute of America graduate who had cooked at Jeremiah Tower's Stars restaurant in San Francisco, noticed the crowds at Mission District taquerias. He moved to Denver and, with an $85,000 loan from his father, opened the first Chipotle in a former ice cream shop near the University of Denver in July 1993. He intended the burrito shop to fund a fine-dining restaurant, but it sold far more than his break-even estimate and the fine-dining plan was dropped.

Steve Ells

Co-founder 1993

Background

Steve Ells is a Culinary Institute of America-trained chef who cooked at Stars in San Francisco before founding Chipotle in Denver in 1993 with an $85,000 loan from his father.

Role at Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.

Steve Ells founded Chipotle in July 1993, opening the first restaurant in a former ice cream shop near the University of Denver. Inspired by San Francisco Mission District taquerias, he applied fine-dining technique to burritos and tacos. He led the company through McDonald's investment, the 2006 IPO and its 'Food with Integrity' sourcing push, serving as CEO (co-CEO from 2009 to 2016) until Brian Niccol took over in March 2018. Ells remained executive chairman until 2020.

Steve Ells was born in 1965 in Indianapolis. Education: University of Colorado Boulder; University of Colorado.

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.: CEO & Leadership History

Full timeline →

Scott Boatwright

Chief Executive Officer

2024 – Present

Became interim CEO in August 2024 and permanent CEO in November 2024 after serving as Chief Operating Officer and, earlier, Chief Restaurant Officer since joining in 2017. Launched the 'Recipe for Growth' strategy in 2026.

Brian Niccol

Chief Executive Officer

2018 – 2024

Brought in as CEO in 2018 to save the company following a massive E. coli crisis, he engineered one of the greatest turnarounds in restaurant history before abruptly leaving for Starbucks in 2024.

Steve Ells

Founder and Chief Executive Officer

1993 – 2018

As the Founder and long-time CEO, he pioneered the entire 'fast-casual' restaurant category, proving consumers would pay premium prices for ethically sourced, freshly prepared food in a fast-food format.

Keep researching Chipotle Mexican Grill

Who Founded Chipotle Mexican Grill? FAQ

Who founded Chipotle Mexican Grill and in what year was the first restaurant opened?

Chipotle was founded by Steve Ells on July 13, 1993, opening the very first restaurant in a former Dolly Madison ice cream parlor near the University of Denver campus in Denver, Colorado.

What was Steve Ells's culinary background before founding Chipotle?

Steve Ells graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, in 1990 and worked as a line cook under celebrated chef Jeremiah Tower at Stars restaurant in San Francisco, where he fell in love with traditional Mission-style burritos.

What was Steve Ells's original business plan when opening the first Chipotle?

Steve Ells originally borrowed $85,000 from his father to open Chipotle as a simple cash-generating burrito shop, intending to use the profits to open a high-end fine-dining restaurant. Within a month, the store was selling over 1,000 burritos daily, prompting him to focus exclusively on Chipotle.

How did McDonald's Corporation invest in Chipotle and help it scale?

In 1998, McDonald's Corporation made an initial minority investment in Chipotle, eventually investing approximately $360 million to acquire a 90% controlling stake by 2001. McDonald's capital allowed Chipotle to expand from 16 Colorado locations to over 500 restaurants nationwide.

When and why did McDonald's divest its entire stake in Chipotle?

In October 2006, McDonald's fully divested its stake in Chipotle through a public spin-off on the NYSE to refocus exclusively on its core hamburger business, earning billions on its initial investment while giving Chipotle complete corporate independence.

When did Steve Ells coin the philosophy 'Food with Integrity'?

In 2001, after visiting commercial factory hog farms and tasting humanely raised, pasture-roaming pork from Niman Ranch, Steve Ells mandated that Chipotle source naturally raised pork, chicken, and grass-fed beef, establishing 'Food with Integrity'.

When did Steve Ells step down from Chipotle and what new ventures did he start?

Steve Ells stepped down as CEO in 2017 and retired as Chairman in 2020. In 2023, Ells announced his new venture, Kernel, a plant-forward, automated robotic fast-casual restaurant concept in New York City.

What is the lasting legacy of Steve Ells on the global restaurant industry?

Steve Ells invented the fast-casual dining category, proved that fast food could be freshly cooked with ethical, sustainable ingredients, and transformed American consumer dining expectations forever.

Who founded Chipotle?

It was founded by Steve Ells, a classically trained chef who originally opened a single burrito shop in Denver using an $85,000 loan from his father, planning to use the profits to eventually open a high-end fine dining restaurant.

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Content is for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Data sourced from SEC filings, annual reports, and public records. See our full disclaimer and methodology.