Chipotle Finalizes London Location

'We are very encouraged by the prospects for Chipotle in the UK,' said Steve Ells, founder, chairman and co-chief executive officer of Chipotle. 'London has become an important food city over the years, especially because of the awareness of and desire for things like locally sourced, seasonal, and artisanal ingredients. These are all core values of Chipotle and we have been instrumental in bringing this kind of thinking to fast food in the U.S. We call it 'Food with Integrity' and it is how we are changing the way people think about fast food. We believe Londoners will appreciate our efforts to serve food that is raised right and in a way that is so accessible.'

In the U.S., Chipotle is the only restaurant chain that is committed to serving food made with ingredients from sustainable sources, including meat from animals that are humanely raised, never given antibiotics or added hormones, and fed a pure vegetarian diet, local and organic produce, and milk from cows that are not treated with synthetic hormones.

All of Chipotle's 900-plus restaurants offer a limited menu consisting of burritos, burrito bowls (a burrito without the tortilla), tacos and salads. Because customers choose exactly what goes into their individual order, however, there are more than 60,000 possible combinations, allowing Chipotle to meet virtually any set of dietary restrictions or preferences.

The majority of Chipotle's growth through 2010 will be in the United States, though the company continues to look for additional sites in London. Beyond its interest in the UK, Chipotle has also started to look for locations in Paris and Munich, but has not identified specific sites or released timelines for expansion into these markets.

'In many ways, the food culture in Europe matches our priorities much more closely than in the U.S.,' said Ells. 'I think we'll be able to source beautiful ingredients from local and sustainable sources from the time we open in the UK, and establish sustainable supply chains elsewhere as we look at other European markets.'

The landlord for Chipotle's first London restaurant is London-based Estates & Agency Holdings Limited. The company is working with local brokerage firms in London, Paris and Munich to help identify potential locations as it looks for additional sites.

Logos, product and company names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

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