NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — Chipotle Mexican Grill has released its 2021 Sustainability Report update, which showcases its efforts across people, food and animals and the environment. The report covers the brand’s impact, progress and goals in areas that play a critical role in its mission to cultivate a better world.
Chipotle enhanced its employee offerings last year with leading wages, referral bonuses and clear pathways for advancement. Crew members can become a restaurateur in as little as three and a half years, with potential total compensation of $125,000. The report reveals that 90 per cent of restaurant management roles came from internal promotions, and on average, six employees were promoted per restaurant for a total of nearly 19,000 promotions.
Additionally, Chipotle has expanded its Cultivate Education program so qualifying U.S. employees can earn a debt-free degree in more than 100 disciplines at 10 universities in addition to its existing $5,250 per year tuition assistance benefit. The brand also recently rolled out a new Learning Management System (LMS), the Spice Hub, with enhanced learning development and upskilling opportunities for employees.
In terms of food and animals impact, Chipotle purchased more than 40.7 million pounds of organic and transitional ingredients and more than 35.7 pounds of local products. The brand also pledged $1.3 million of the $5 million committed to young farmers by the end of 2025.
Lastly, in terms of environmental impact, Chipotle established and maintained its composting program at 31 per cent of all restaurants, diverted 2.6 million cubic yards of waste through recycling, composting and waste to energy and all new restaurant openings participated in the Harvest Program food donation.
“With a mission to cultivate a better world, we are passionate about accelerating our employees’ professional growth and are looking at our team members of today to become our leaders of tomorrow,” says Marissa Andrada, Chief Diversity, Inclusion and People Officer, Chipotle. “How we grow our food is how we grow our future; it’s both food with integrity as well as people with integrity, and we transparently want to share the steps we’re taking to help us meet our aggressive goals.”
“We are dedicated to being a leader across all areas of sustainability and are passionate about driving lasting change while holding ourselves accountable for our actions,” says Laurie Schalow, Chief Corporate Affairs and Food Safety Officer, Chipotle.
