Many college students went out of their way to grab a burrito from Chipotle Mexican Grill in the past, according to the restaurant’s marketing consultant Candace Doby . But Sept. 20, the restaurant held its grand opening, featuring a variety of burritos, tacos and salads.
The restaurant stayed busy for most of the day, seeing its peak traffic at noon, when students were out of class.
Trinh Ngo , a sophomore in international studies, waited in line to try the steak tacos.
“We didn’t have to wait too long because they were really fast workers,” Ngo said, “it was worth it.”
There had been several requests from University students and Raleigh locals for a Chipotle restaurant closer to N.C. State’s campus.
“For several years now, many students were going to our other Raleigh locations,” Doby said. “When the space became available on Hillsborough we made the decision.”
Steve Ells founded Chipotle in 1993, with an inspiration stemming from the little taquerias he would eat at in San Francisco. After observing the people, food and efficiency of these taco and burrito vendors, Ells pursued opening his own restaurant in Denver.
The Chipotle restaurant chain has grown to 38 states and opened on Glenwood Avenue five years ago.
According to Ells, elevating typical fast food standards is the goal for Chipotle.
”Hogs are often raised in confinement and I knew I didn’t want that kind of suffering to be a part of our success,” Ells said.
Whenever possible, Chipotle strives to use meat from animals raised without antibiotics or added hormones, according to Doby.
Forty percent of their beans are organically grown and their efforts have reduced the number of pesticides in the environment. The cilantro is also organic.
Working to produce ‘Food with Integrity’ is not easy and some say it comes with a heavy price tag. On the other hand, there are many people who believe that sustainable farming methods are the best.
“I thoroughly enjoyed the food. All of the ingredients seemed to be fresh and overall it was a great experience,” Neel Mandavilli, a freshmen in business administration, said.
The next Chipotle opening is set for November, in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
As the restaurant targets hungry college students, Doby also said the company is looking to employ them, too— the location on Hillsborough Street is searching for a campus brand manager.
