News

Baja Fresh boss to go undercover

April 4, 2011

Baja Fresh CEO David Kim will appear on CBS' hit series "Undercover Boss" at 9 p.m. ET on April 10.

Kim's time in the trenches will lead to what may be the most surprising reveal in the show's history.

"I think the ending is going to surprise a lot of people," said Kim. "But going on 'Undercover Boss' taught me three things. Our employees are even more amazing than I already knew. Our guests are raving fans of our fire-grilled, fresh Mexican food. And making a Baja Fresh Burrito Ultimo is about as easy as trying to cut your own hair. I'm terrible at it."

With 255 locations in 24 states and Dubai, Baja Fresh's fast casual fresh Mexican chain has experienced rapid expansion since its 1990 founding.

Kim says he went on the show to make sure that the company's core obsession with freshness — Baja Fresh restaurants have no freezers, can-openers, and use only fresh, hormone-free chicken and all-natural steak — continues to be maintained as it grows.

"I always believed in the benefits of eating well, being active and making contributions to the communities in which we live. But being a CEO has so much more to do with people than with business," said Kim, who also is the author of "Ignite!: The 12 Values That Fuel Billionaire Success."

Each week, "Undercover Boss" follows a different executive as they leave the comfort of their corner office for an undercover mission to examine the inner workings of their companies while working alongside their employees.

Kim is the latest executive to appear on CBS' Emmy-nominated show, currently in its second season.