Steve Ells

Chile Today, Hot Tomorrow

Denver Post Links Bicycles, Chipotle Burritos and Gas

Chipotle needs a new ad man? How about Adam Cayton-Holland?

Colorado's fast-expanding, fast-improving, fast-casual world

A few days ago, I was a food nomad. Mindlessly searching for sustenance, I wandered along Colorado Boulevard looking for something cheap yet nourishing -- with nourishing almost immediately eliminating most fast-food joints. But not all. The spots that really piqued my 'buds were pla ... More >>

The List: Six fast-casual concepts that work

After my disastrous meals at Beaucoup Burrito, I thought it might be helpful to list for its owners, employees and customers six local fast-casual concepts that actually work.  They are, in no particular order: Chipotle: Founder Steve Ells gets credit for inventing the entire fast-casual concep ... More >>

Bite Me

Trading Spaces

Best Burrito

Chipotle

Letters to the Editor

From the week of June 24, 2004

Bite Me

Quagmire

WTF?!!? A new menu at Chipotle

I have to extend an apologetic hand to both my fellow Westworder Joel Warner and, by extension, the Highland Mommies -- the web message board group in North Denver; See, at Monday's editorial meeting, Mr. Warner brought up a rumor he'd heard that Chipotle was changing its menu. There weren't many de ... More >>

La Torta is the king of tortas

I have to extend an apologetic hand to both my fellow Westworder Joel Warner and, by extension, the Highland Mommies -- the web message board group in North Denver; See, at Monday's editorial meeting, Mr. Warner brought up a rumor he'd heard that Chipotle was changing its menu. There weren't many de ... More >>

How Steve Ells wrapped up the fast-casual niche

I have to extend an apologetic hand to both my fellow Westworder Joel Warner and, by extension, the Highland Mommies -- the web message board group in North Denver; See, at Monday's editorial meeting, Mr. Warner brought up a rumor he'd heard that Chipotle was changing its menu. There weren't many de ... More >>

TV or Not TV

Another star turn for Ian Kleinman.

What's in Your IPO?

The bean counters vs. the Chipotlemat.

Chair of Chipotle

Bruce Gueswel is having an art attack.

The Bite

Steak Out

Mouthing Off

Steak Out

Mouthing Off

Steak Out

Tomatoes thrown at Chipotle miss target

This week's Time magazine story on "America's Food Crisis and How to Fix It" cites Chipotle, Denver's homegrown success story, as one of the companies doing things right -- which made yesterday's petition delivery to Chipotle headquarters in LoDo, calling on the company to work with the Coalition of ... More >>

Chipotle and the CIW end the tomato war

​"At long last," proclaims the Coalition of Immokalee Workers website, "a grower steps forward." And let's not forget a restaurant company, Chipotle, which, as spokesman Chris Arnold had told us three weeks ago, was negotiating with that grower to get around a stalemate that had prevented the ... More >>

Ask the Critic: Worst. Idea. Ever.

photo courtesy of seriouseats.com​Want to know why food is a great beat? Because there's always someone out there who's gonna think of jamming a full serving of pasta primavera into a waffle cone and selling it on the street (as pictured above). Usually, these people are going to be coming f ... More >>

Free food! For Kids! At Chipotle! Every Sunday through January!

​As part of its ongoing menu-expansion test in Colorado, all area Chipotle Mexican Grill locations will be giving away free kid's meals on the remaining Sundays in January -- January 10, 17, 24 and 31 -- when parents fork over the dough for a burrito, burrito bowl or full-size salad. "Our k ... More >>

Chipotle's Steve Ells on Oprah today

The original Chipotle,now a fast-food shrine.​From the moment it opened at 1644 East Evans Avenue, close by the University of Denver, Chipotle Mexican Grill a hip storefront joint that served giant burritos, was a giant hit. Three years later, the homegrown chain had three Denver locations -- ... More >>

Frank Bonanno, Alex Seidel, Jennifer Jasinski, Steve Ells and James Rugile among James Beard semifinalists

Lori Midson Venue chef James Rugile ​Restaurant and chef semifinalists for the 2010 James Beard Foundation Awards were released this morning, which gives all the nominees exactly 32 days to chew on their success before the five finalists in each category are announced on Monday, March 22. The ... More >>

Chipotle's Steve Ells judging America's Next Great Restaurant

James GladerSteve Ells in his original restaurant.​First came an appearance on Oprah. Now Steve Ells, founder of Chipotle, is a panelist on America's Next Great Restaurant, joining chefs Bobby Flay, Curtis Stone (The Biggest Loser) and Lorena Garcia. They'll be the judges as potential restaura ... More >>

The week in Cafe Society bloggery: PETA, the Avenue Grill's Andrew Lubatty, MEAT, picnic packing and Chiptole's Steve Ells's new TV gig

​Our favorite tables scraps of the week from the Cafe Society blog: 1. The fact that Coors Field made Peta's list of the country's most vegetarian-friendly ballparks, coming in at number five on their annual list, made the rest of us darksiders swear to eat steaks, cheeseburgers, bratwursts a ... More >>

Chipotle Mexican Grill opens 1,000th restaurant

​Chipotle Mexican Grill, the big-ass burrito-monger that started in a tiny renovated ice cream shop at 1644 East Evans in 1993 has reached a couple of milestones recently. The first European Chipotle started hawking the goods to Londoners in May, and yesterday, the chain opened its 1,000th ... More >>

Part two: Chef and Tell with Jay Spickelmier from Japoix

Lori Midson​ Jay Spickelmier Japoix 975 Lincoln Street 303-861-2345 www.japoix.com This is part two of this week's Chef and Tell. Read the rest of Lori Midson's interview with Jay Spickelmier, executive chef of Japoix, here. Favorite restaurant in America: Osaki's Sushi & Japanese Cuisin ... More >>

Chipotle to roll out an Asian fast-casual restaurant

Chipotle's Steve Ells will roll out a fast casual Asian restaurant next year​When Steve Ells opened the very first Chipotle Mexican Grill at 1644 East Evans Avenue seventeen years ago, he didn't anticipate it growing into a massive burrito-hawking chain, one that would infiltrate every city in ... More >>

Laura Shunk's story begins with Chipotle Mexican Grill

Will the real Laura Shunk please stand up?​Early this month, Jason Sheehan gave Chipotle Mexican Grill a glowing review in the Seattle Weekly, our partner publication where he now works -- and where the haters haven't stopped rolling their eyes and asking why he'd bother writing about such a u ... More >>

Chipotle registers brand name ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen

Steve Ells​When news broke late last year that Chipotle's Steve Ells was drawing up plans for an Asian fast-casual concept, the company refused to divulge much. "We want to leave a little mystery," Chris Arnold, director of public relations for the company, explained. But word's starting to l ... More >>

James Beard Foundation announces 2011 semi-finalists: Frank Bonanno, Yasmin Lozada-Hissom, Frasca and ChoLon among them

James Beard Foundation​Last November, the James Beard Foundation summoned the public to nominate its favorite chefs, restaurants and industry professionals for the 2011 awards. And after all the self-pimping and ballot-stuffing, the poll is closed. This morning, the foundation announced its ... More >>

Watch a Facebook ad for America's Next Great Restaurant, get free Chipotle

​Here's a quick way to earn free food: watch a 90 second ad for NBC's America's Next Great Restaurant on Facebook, and get a coupon for a buy-one-get-one burrito at Chipotle.

Duo and Olivéa pastry chef Yasmin Lozada-Hissom tapped to bake at the James Beard Foundation awards gala

​The James Beard Foundation awards gala, a glitzy, high-falutin' soiree that honors the best chefs, pastry kings and queens, restaurateurs, restaurants and wine directors in the country, takes place on May 9, 2011, at the Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall in New York. And the culinary blowout ... More >>

What will Steve Ells invest in next? America's Next Great Restaurant premiere serves up ten possibilities

​2011 promises to be a big year for hometown restaurateur Steve Ells. While his Denver-based Chipotle keeps expanding, Ells also has a new fast-casual Asian concept (possibly called ShopHouse) in the works, which is opening somewhere in the states -- most likely in Washington, DC. And come M ... More >>

America's Next Great Restaurant contestant Eric Powell has a Colorado-based back-up plan

Eric Powell has a Denver-based back-up plan.​Last night on America's Next Great Restaurant

What will Steve Ells invest in next? Soul Daddy

​Amid making plans for ShopHouse, a new fast-casual Asian concept, and running the ever-expanding Denver-based Chipotle empire, Steve Ells has also been busy picking another restaurant concept in which to invest, working alongside Bobby Flay, Curtis Stone and Lorena Garcia to grant a would-be ... More >>

Reader: Steve Ells goes for soul over cheese

​Steve Ells, founder of the homegrown Chipotle chain, will have a starring role as the University of Colorado commencement speaker on Friday -- just five days after he wrapped up his gig on America's Next Great Restaurant. In the last episode of that series, Ells and his fellow judges chose S ... More >>

Soul Daddy, America's Next Great Restaurant winner, closes NYC and Los Angeles locations

NBC via Eater​If you were hoping America's Next Great Restaurant winner, Soul Daddy, would eventually start hawking its healthy soul food in Denver, don't hold your breath. Despite the credentials of the panel of investors -- Steve Ells, Chipotle's founder and CEO, Bobby Flay, Curtis Stone a ... More >>

Soul Daddy, America's Next Great Restaurant winner, shutters final location

NBC via Eater​Even the blessing of Steve Ells, CEO of homegrown, fast-casual mega-chain Chipotle Mexican Grill, wasn't enough to make America's Next Great Restaurant into, well, America's next great restaurant: Soul Daddy, the healthy barbecue concept that nabbed the reality show's grand prize ... More >>

Reader: No surprise that fast-casual concept Soul Daddy was a fast casualty

​The news that Soul Daddy, the winner of America's Next Great Restaurant, had closed its last outpost -- despite Chipotle's Steve Ells serving as one of the show's judges -- didn't surprise readers. Says aceranchero: I watched the series finale, when they announced the winner I turned to m ... More >>

America's Next Great Restaurant winner Jamawn Woods blames Chipotle for Soul Daddy's failure

NBC​ Just over a month ago, Jamawn Woods shuttered the last of his three Soul Daddy locations. That was the fast-casual chain he was trying to get going with the help of Chipotle CEO Steve Ells, Bobby Flay, Curtis Stone and Lorena Garcia after that team of investors awarded him the grand prize ... More >>

Bobby Flay also blames Chipotle for Soul Daddy's demise

NBC​ Jamawn Woods isn't the only one blaming Denver-based Chipotle for the spectacular failure of his three Soul Daddy restaurants, which closed just weeks after the Detroit resident landed the grand prize on reality-TV show America's Next Great Restaurant. Steve Ells's fellow panelist and inv ... More >>

Chipotle's second concept, ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen, opens in DC

​Earlier this week, Fortune named Chipotle one of the country's fastest growing companies, noting that the Denver-based burrito chain, which raked in $2 billion in revenue between June of last year and June of this year, grew 23 percent in the process. Not bad, considering it's fast food (okay ... More >>

Reader: ShopHouse might inspire you to shop for some Chipotle stock

​Did you miss the chance to get in on the ground floor of Chipotle, back when Steve Ells opened his first fast-casual burrito shop on East Evans Avenue? You've got another chance with ShopHouse, the Asian fast-casual concept that Chipotle rolled out last Thursday in Washington, D.C. Here's t ... More >>

Chipotle treats family-farm trick-or-treaters with a Boorito tonight

​From 6 p.m. six until closing tonight, all locations of Chipotle -- the homegrown big-burrito chain that Steve Ells started in Denver almost twenty years ago -- will be offering a real treat to anyone in a costume inspired by the family farm. Dress like Old McDonald or a Niman Ranch hog, and ... More >>

Jonathan Gold weighs in on Chipotle founder Steve Ells

ChipotleJonathan Gold calls Steve Ells the most innovative man in food​"The most innovative man in the world of food at the moment is Chipotle founder Steve Ells," writes Jonathan Gold, the Pulitzer Prize-winning food critic at Westword's sister paper, LA Weekly, in a profile of the CEO that r ... More >>

Reader: Naming the best Chipotle is an intriguing idea

Where it all began....​What's your favorite Chipotle? The food at each one tastes different, founder Steve Ells revealed in his recent interview with Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Jonathan Gold, because employees at Chipotle actually cook. "When our employees walk in in the morning, they see ... More >>

Will ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen repeat Chipotle's feat?

A meatball bowl at ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen.​Just a month ago Jonathan Gold -- Pulitzer Prize-winning critic at Westword's sister paper, LA Weekly -- heaped praise on Steve Ells, founder and CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill, the company that got its start at a burrito shop on East Evans ... More >>