Seja rápido: Comer fast food pode fazer a diferença

Comer em uma lanchonete de fast food pode não parecer, à primeira vista, uma atitude progressista, mas se você der uma mordida em um dos imensos burritos da cadeia Chiplote, você estará apoiando um negócio dedicado a promover o uso de ingredientes naturais, a consciência ambiental e o entusiasmo pela educação.

(English version)

Eating at a fast food joint may not seem like an inherently progressive thing to do, but if you bite in to one of the Chipotle chain's tasty oversized burritos, you're supporting a business dedicated to natural ingredients, environmental awareness, and enthusiasm for education. 

The unlikely combination of fast food and good food is at Chipotle’s foundation. One hundred percent of the pork and chicken, and 50 percent of the beef used in all of its kitchens are raised in humane conditions without the use of antibiotics.

Thirty percent of the beans are organically grown, and all of the cheese and sour cream is free of synthetic growth hormones. Because of these careful considerations, Chipotle has now taken the lead in the industry, purchasing more naturally raised meat than any other restaurant chain in the country.

Sixteen years ago Steve Ells, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, opened the first Chipotle restaurant in Denver, CO. After reading an article about farmers in Iowa who raised their pigs the old-fashioned way—without the use of chemicals and cages—he vowed to catapult his growing restaurant chain to even bigger heights.

In 2001, Chipotle began its “Food With Integrity” mission, serving up naturally raised pork purchased from local family farms. Today, the Mexican eatery known for it’s laid-back “fast casual” style of dining has spread into more than 700 locations nationwide.

The environmentally friendly policies extend beyond the ingredients. Chipotle has in-store recycling programs in over 300 restaurant locations and just this year the first LEED-certified store opened in Gurnee, IL featuring a six-kilowatt wind turbine that will provide an estimated 7.5 percent of the restaurant’s electricity. This restaurant is one of three green locations boasting environmentally friendly amenities such as countertops made of recycled materials, Energy Star appliances, and LED lighting.

The chain with a conscience also advocates widely for advancing sustainable dining. The Chipotle Mexican Grill Annual Scholarship at the Culinary Institute of America awards $2,500 to promising culinary professionals who demonstrate a commitment to sustainable agriculture. The restaurant also donates $10,000 each year to the Culinary Institute to establish an Endowed Scholarship Fund.

Additional partnerships have been set up to benefit advertising students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and over $200,000 has been donated to Cleveland Scholarship Programs, an organization that makes college dreams a reality for many local students; one of the many good deeds that makes Chipotle’s growing resume of community contributions just as enticing as its menu.