Steve Ells

Steve Ells founded Chipotle Mexican Grill in 1993 after culinary school, building it into a billion-dollar chain focused on sustainably raised ingredients. He served as CEO until 2018 and executive chairman until 2020, pioneering the fast-casual, food-with-integrity model.

1 Episode

Episodes

EP 825

Advice Line with Steve Ells of Chipotle

Steve Ells

Streaky Bay Distillers

Steve Ells, founder of Chipotle, joins host John Conti alongside Rebecca Smith of Streaky Bay Distillers and Sri Hollema of Mat Zero for tactical business advice. The conversation covers scaling without sacrificing quality, cutting through category noise, and building operational discipline before growth becomes urgent. Ells shares hard-won lessons from turning a single burrito truck into a global chain while maintaining food safety and brand integrity.

Apr 9, 202642 min

Related Companies

Chipotle

Chipotle Mexican Grill is a fast-casual restaurant chain known for freshly made bowls, tacos, and burritos. Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Denver, the company emphasizes responsibly sourced ingredients and a simple, quality-driven menu.

1 episode