Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc.’s success with hormone-free dairy products, naturally raised meat and local produce has the restaurant chain taking its message to a broader audience.
The Mexican-inspired fast-casual chain is releasing an animated video to movie theaters Friday, and Saturday it will host the first of many food-and-music festivals in Chicago.
“We think the more people understand where their food comes from and the impact on independent family farmers (and) animal welfare, the more they’re going to ask for better ingredients,” said Chipotle founder and co-Chief Executive Steve Ells.
Chipotle has shown that a focus on local produce and animal welfare can be done in a fast-food setting. It is one of the fastest-growing stocks in the restaurant sector, closing at $313.14 Thursday, more than double from August 2010. For the most recent quarter, Chipotle’s same-store sales, a key metric of restaurant health, increased 10 percent.