Architecture
Architecturally, all Chipotle restaurants are built using most of the same materials (plywood, corrugated metal, stainless steel, exposed ductwork), although each store is unique. The interiors have been described as having an "industrial, sheet metal look". Chipotle has built restaurants using white ceramic tile instead of stainless steel, citing the relative ease of recycling white tile compared to steel. It costs the company approximately $850,000 to open a new restaurant. When the first Chipotle opened, Steve Ells asked his friend, sculptor Bruce Gueswel, to design the chairs and a styled Mayan king for the restaurant. Both items were made from wood and metal. Gueswel has continued to design and build the art and chairs for all subsequent Chipotle restaurants. All Chipotle locations display a picture of the original restaurant, which is near the University of Denver campus on Evans Avenue. In 2010, Chipotle began opening "A Model" restaurants, which are smaller concept locations, citing the lower costs of development and occupancy. Chipotle uses environmentally friendly packaging, with bowls made from recycled newsprint, unbleached tray liners, and napkins and cups made from postconsumer waste.
Chipotle's architectural design team incorporates the principles of sustainable architecture in their projects. The "green" restaurant in Gurnee, Illinois features an on-site six kilowatt wind turbine, which generates about 10% of the restaurant's electrical needs. The Gurnee restaurant has received Platinum level LEED certification from U.S. Green Building Council. A restaurant in Tulsa, Oklahoma, uses recycled drywall, low-VOC paint, and energy-efficient appliances. A Chipotle restaurant in Austin, Texas was the first to receive a four-star rating from the city's Green Building Program. Additionally, Chipotle has made arrangements to add solar panels to 75 of its restaurants. Chipotle has contracted to clean its stores in New York City, NY and Long Island, with "plant-based, environmentally preferable cleaning supplies and technologies." The cleansers are readily biodegradable and non-toxic to humans or aquatic life.
Chipotle has been sued for failure to obey the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as a customer who used a wheelchair was unable to see the food preparation, denying him the "Chipotle Experience". The case against the company was upheld in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Chipotle's appeal, leaving the 9th's Circuit ruling intact. Chipotle has, "an official disability policy of bringing ingredients to the tables of diners with disabilities and doing tableside preparation." The plaintiff in the case has a history of filing ADA-related lawsuits, and has sued over 20 restaurants. Chipotle is retrofitting restaurants affected by the ruling, and incorporating the new design into new restaurants.
Read more about this topic: Chipotle Mexican Grill
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