Newport Beach-based Chipotle Mexican Grill has published its 2021 Sustainability Report Update, which showcases its efforts across People, Food and Animals, and the Environment.
The report covers Chipotle’s impact, progress and goals in areas that play a critical role in its mission to Cultivate a Better World.
According to the report summary, Chipotle enhanced its employee offerings last year with leading wages, referral bonuses, and paved clear pathways for advancement. Crew members can become a Restaurateur, the highest General Manager position, in as little as three and a half years, with potential total compensation of $100,000 while leading a multi-million-dollar growing business.
The report reflects that 90 percent 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.
Chipotle also noted that the company expanded its Cultivate Education program so qualifying U.S. employees can earn a debt-free degree in over 100 disciplines at ten universities in addition to its existing $5,250 per year tuition assistance benefit valid towards any accredited program or certificate.
Building upon its People efforts last year, Chipotle recently rolled out a new Learning Management System, the Spice Hub, with enhanced immersive learning development and upskilling opportunities for restaurant employees through gamification, social learning, personalized learning paths, and instructor-led training.
“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,” said 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.”
Among the highlights of the Sustainability Report Update:
- Achieved a Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index score of 100
- Established an inclusive, award-winning culture
- Purchased over 40.7 million pounds of organic & transitional ingredients
- Purchased over 35.7 million pounds of local produce—an investment of more than $40.2 million in support of local food systems in Chipotle’s communities
- Pledged $1.3 million of the $5 million committed to young farmers by the end of 2025
- All new restaurant openings participated in Chipotle’s food donation “Harvest Program”
- Established and maintained composting program at 31 percent of all restaurants
- Diverted 2.6 million cubic yards of waste through recycling, composting, and waste to energy
Chipotle’s Chief Corporate Affairs and Food Safety Officer Laurie Schalow added, “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.”
To learn more about sustainability at Chipotle and review the full report, please visit https://www.chipotle.com/about-us/sustainability.
