Top Ten Reasons To Love Chipotle

After receiving a free Chipotle Halloween Boo-rito, I thought back on all the experiences I've had at Chipotle over the last couple of years. I quickly realized that while they certainly stand out on Halloween, they really stand out every day of the year. I only discovered them a couple of years ago, so for all the people out there who haven't yet discovered them, I felt inspired to compile a list of the top ten reasons to love Chipotle:

1. They've got nothing to hide. They make everything right in front of you. From the person who presses the tortillas flat to the one who puts on the last toppings, you watch your food move down the assembly line so you know exactly what's happening.
   
   
2. It's all customized for you. Their small number of ingredients can be combined in many different ways to suit your tastes. It's never a problem to get more cheese, less sour cream, vegetarian, no tortilla, or whatever you want.
   
   
3. They know so many cool people. Some of their cups are marked with "People We're Pleased to Know" and contain interesting stories about people who have influenced Chipotle in some way. For example, a farmer who educates his neighbors about the benefits of organic foods.
   
   
4. They pioneered "fast casual." Back in 1993, they came up with the idea of a fast casual restaurant when there wasn't even a term for it. This paved the way for other fast casual places like Baja Fresh, Panera Bread, and Potbelly Sandwich Works.
   
   
5. Free T-shirts. I guess this came down to my being in the right place at the right time, but one day they were offering a free T-shirt with the purchase of a burrito. Even though I ordered soft tacos, they gave me the shirt anyway. Their logo is on the front, and on the back it says "I'LL DO ANYTHING FOR A BURRITO."
   
   
6. It's worth going just for the ambience. Each location is different, but they all have the same feel. Hip, trendy, and ultramodern, lots of light and space, and friendly people.
   
   
7. They make their own guacamole. Several times a day, they mash up a fresh batch behind the counter. The ones who make it identify themselves with shirts saying "I made the guacamole today."
   
   
8. They have Margaritas. Margaritas in a fast food place? These guys rock!
   
   
9. Because rBGH means "Robs the Body of Good Health." No, actually it means recombinant bovine growth hormone, a synthetic version of bovine growth hormone that's injected into cows to maintain their milk production. It's not good for cows or humans, and it's banned in virtually every developed country except the U.S. But just being legal isn't good enough for Chipotle; they don't use rBGH in the making of any of their food.
   
   
10. Food With Integrity. Founder and CEO Steve Ells describes the Food With Integrity initiative this way: "It's a philosophy that we can always do better in terms of the food we buy. And when we say better, we mean better in every sense of the word—better tasting, coming from better sources, better for the environment, better for the animals, and better for the farmers who raise the animals and grow the produce."

The Food With Integrity philosophy is what makes the biggest difference to me. It's really just a focus on simple, good ideas like no trans fats, no artificial colors or flavors, no antibiotics, no hormones, and no animal cruelty. As Chipotle continues to grow, it gains more freedom to choose suppliers that produce their food the right way. In time, they could make some significant changes to the food industry. Maybe one day we'll all agree with Steve Ells that "fresh is not enough anymore."