News

Chipotle remodels first location

September 7, 2017

Chipotle Mexican Grill reopened its first unit's doors today following a summer-long renovation, according to a press release. The original Chipotle opened in 1993 in Denver's former Dolly Madison ice cream shop on East Evans Avenue across from the University of Denver.

The new look

Much of the work was done behind the scenes: Chipotle expanded the cramped basement of the 850-square-foot restaurant to create additional storage and food prep space, making its small open kitchen more efficient. The dining room renovation updated the style of the small space, while preserving the original charm, said CEO Steve Ells in the release.

"The Evans restaurant will always be special to me," said Ells, who opened his first unit using a small loan from his father after graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.

"I opened that restaurant with the novel idea to show that food that was served fast didn't have to be a typical fast food experience, and with the hope of financing a 'real restaurant,' Ells said.

He changed his mind, however, after witnessing the success of the brand, which was inspired by the tacquerias Ells had visited in San Francisco's Mission District while cooking at the Stars restaurant. He opened the second Chipotle in 1995 and the third in 1996. The chain now has more than 2,300 locations worldwide and more than 60,000 employees.

"Today, Chipotle has become plenty real and we are having a significant impact on the way people eat by making delicious food, made with whole, unprocessed ingredients available and affordable to everyone," he said. “That isn't something I could even have imagined when I opened that first restaurant 24 years ago."