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Top 100: Restaurants - Chipotle

Chipotle ranks number 2 on 2014's Top 100: Restaurants.

March 13, 2015

Chipotle ranks number 2 on 2014's Top 100: Restaurants.

With more than 1,600 units, there’s no doubt that Chipotle is one of the most recognized fast casual brands in the world, but that doesn’t stop the company from continuing to spread its gospel of fresh ingredients and sustainable practices. It recently made history when it debuted its original comedy series, “Farmed and Dangerous,” on Hulu and Hulu Plus. The four webisodes provide a satirical look at the lengths the agriculture industry goes to manage perceptions about its practices. “Our goal in making the show was to engage people through entertainment and make them more curious about their food and where it comes from,” said Mark Crumpacker, chief marketing and development officer at Chipotle and an executive producer of the show. “It’s not a show about Chipotle, but rather integrates the values that are at the heart of our business. The more people know about how food is raised, the more likely they will be to choose food made from better ingredients — like the food we serve at Chipotle.” 

The brand also got a lot of attention in September 2013, when it released “The Scarecrow,” an arcade-style adventure game for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Players fly through the fictional city of Plenty to transport confined animals to open pastures, fill fields with diverse crops at Scarecrow Farms and serve wholesome food to the citizens of Plenty.

Chipotle’s commitment to “unbranded marketing” helps it resonate with consumers, said Danielle Winslow, who works in public relations and marketing for the chain. For example, both “Farmed and Dangerous” and “The Scarecrow” are meant to drive awareness about modern food production and industrial agriculture in an engaging way. “Our use of unbranded content is a proven and impactful way to tell the company’s food culture story, and this format allows the subject matter, issues and information about industrial agriculture to stand front and center,” she said. “We hope that the more we engage people, the more curious they will be about where their food comes from and the more inclined they will be to choose a restaurant like Chipotle.”