Steve Ells

Steve Ells is the founder of Chipotle Mexican Grill, the fast-casual chain that changed how Americans think about fast food. He opened the first location in a former Denver ice cream shop in 1993 using a $85,000 loan—money he originally planned to use for a fine dining restaurant.

A classically trained chef who graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1990, Ells worked in San Francisco's high-end dining scene. A chance encounter with a burrito at a local taqueria sparked his pivot to Mexican cuisine. He built Chipotle around a simple idea: fresh, customizable dishes prepared in an open kitchen, using what he called "food with integrity"—naturally raised meats, organic produce, and direct relationships with farmers.

Under Ells's leadership, Chipotle grew from that single Denver store into a publicly traded company with over 3,500 locations nationwide. He served as CEO from founding until 2018, then returned as sole CEO in 2016 before stepping down in 2019. He remained executive chairman until 2020, guiding the company through food safety challenges and a major brand rebuild.

Ells left the board completely in 2021. Forbes estimates his net worth at $1 billion, making him one of America's wealthiest chefs. His latest venture, Kernel, is a plant-based restaurant concept focused on automation and sustainable food systems.