Chipotle Commits to Serving More Than 50 Million Pounds of Naturally Raised Meat in 2008
07 Enero 2008 - 7:30AM
Business Wire
Chipotle Mexican Grill announced today that it will serve more than
52 million pounds of naturally raised meat in 2008, a 12 million
pound or 40 percent increase over last year. That solidifies
Chipotle�s position as the world�s leading restaurant provider of
naturally raised meat � beef, pork and chicken from naturally,
humanely raised animals fed a vegetarian diet and not given
antibiotics, added hormones or growth-stimulants. The 52 million
pounds translates to about 200 million meals in the coming year.
�We are changing the way the world thinks about and eats fast
food,� said Steve Ells, founder, chairman and CEO of Chipotle.
�There was a time when only the most demanding chefs were using
this superior quality meat at the most expensive restaurants, but
now we�re committed to making it available and affordable so
everyone can eat better.� To do that, Chipotle spends more money on
its food (as a percentage of its sales) than any other restaurant,
regardless of category. The restaurant�s goal is to serve 100
percent naturally raised meat in all of its nearly 700 restaurants.
Currently, all Chipotle restaurants serve naturally raised pork,
while more than 80 percent serve naturally raised chicken, and
about half serve naturally raised beef. It�s all part of a vision
Ells calls Food With Integrity that began in 2000. Often, it has
been animal rights groups that have championed the improved
treatment of animals raised for food. But, Chipotle is showing how
success in the marketplace can drive positive change. Animal rights
groups and food industry insiders are taking notice. �Chipotle has
done more to positively influence the landscape of rural America
than any other company or government program,� says Bill Niman, the
founder of Niman Ranch. �When Chipotle began working with Niman
Ranch, there were fewer than 50 family-owned pig farms in the
system. Today more than 500 family farms adhere to a humane,
natural method, and that�s because Chipotle has provided those
farmers a fair market for their pork.� To accomplish its goal of
serving all naturally raised meat, Chipotle is constantly looking
for like-minded suppliers who share the company�s commitment to
humane treatment of animals, or working with existing suppliers to
change their protocols for the better. �We have applauded Chipotle
a number of times,� said Paul Shapiro, senior director of the
Factory Farms Campaign for the Humane Society of the United States
(HSUS). �That a company like Chipotle can have a successful
business model while not supporting the abuses in the agribusiness
industry is a positive sign. Companies ought to be rewarded for
helping to reduce animal suffering.� HSUS has worked to pass laws
in Florida, Arizona and Oregon against sow gestation crates and has
pressured some restaurant chains to begin moving away from other
abusive factory farming methods, such as battery cages for
chickens. While new laws create meaningful improvements, Chipotle
provides a practical, persuasive example of a company that has
achieved superior performance while supporting humane treatment of
animals. �A lot of people in the industry say there shouldn�t be
legislation, that the market should decide,� said Bernard Rollin,
Ph.D., an animal ethicist at Colorado State University who
pioneered humane treatment for lab animals in the 1980s and is now
focusing on farm animals. �Chipotle has led by doing good and doing
well at the same time, and influencing the entire food system.� In
addition to influencing the food system and creating new
opportunities for suppliers, Ells says Food With Integrity is
helping to build awareness and increase demand for sustainably
raised foods among customers. �We are educating our customers about
the tastes and benefits of eating fresh, naturally raised foods,�
says Ells. �And the more they come to appreciate these better
foods, the more they are going to want them from others.� For more
information about the progress of Food With Integrity, including a
state by state guide to where natural meats are offered, suppliers
used, and the company�s standards for naturally raised meats, go to
www.chipotle.com. About Chipotle Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:
CMG)(NYSE:�CMG.B) offers a focused menu of burritos, tacos, burrito
bowls (a burrito without the tortilla) and salads made from fresh,
high-quality raw ingredients, prepared using classic cooking
methods and served in a distinctive atmosphere. Through our vision
of Food With Integrity, Chipotle is seeking to change for the
better the way people eat not only from using fresh ingredients,
but ingredients that are sustainably grown and naturally raised
with respect for the animals, the land and the farmers who produce
the food. Chipotle opened its first restaurant in 1993 and
currently operates more than 670 restaurants. For more information,
visit www.chipotle.com.
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