OREANDA-NEWS. Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) announced that it is adding chorizo, a spicy chicken and pork sausage, as a new menu item in select cities beginning today. Chipotle will introduce chorizo in its restaurants in Columbus, OH; New York City (in Manhattan locations); Sacramento, CA; and San Diego; as well as at one restaurant in Denver and its Dulles International Airport location in the Washington, DC area. The company expects to expand chorizo to all of its U.S. restaurants this fall.

Chipotle’s chorizo is made with a blend of pork and white-meat chicken and is seasoned with paprika, toasted cumin and chipotle peppers, a recipe developed by Chipotle’s team of chefs. It is cooked in each restaurant by searing it on a hot grill to give it a perfect char.

“Since we opened the first Chipotle 23 years ago, our menu has changed very little, and our focus has been on constantly improving the quality and taste of the food we serve,” said Steve Ells, founder, chairman and co-CEO of Chipotle. “While we have never been opposed to changing our menu, we only do so when we think there’s an opportunity to add something that is really unique but that fits within our overall menu, and where we can find ingredients that meet our high standards.”

The pork and chicken used to make Chipotle’s chorizo is Responsibly Raised™ (from animals that are raised in more humane ways and without the use of antibiotics or added hormones), just like Chipotle’s other meats.

ABOUT CHIPOTLE

Steve Ells, founder, chairman and co-CEO, started Chipotle with the idea that food served fast did not have to be a typical fast food experience. Today, Chipotle continues to offer a focused menu of burritos, tacos, burrito bowls (a burrito without the tortilla) and salads made from fresh, high-quality raw ingredients, prepared using classic cooking methods and served in a distinctive atmosphere. Through our vision of Food With Integrity, Chipotle is seeking better food from using ingredients that are not only fresh, but that — where possible — are sustainably grown and raised responsibly, with respect for the animals, the land and the farmers who produce the food. In order to achieve this vision, we focus on building a special people culture that is centered on creating teams of top performers empowered to achieve high standards. This people culture not only leads to a better dining experience for our customers, it also allows us to develop future leaders from within. Chipotle opened with a single restaurant in 1993 and operates more than 2,000 restaurants, including 26 Chipotle restaurants outside the US and 14 ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen restaurants, and is an investor in an entity that owns and operates four Pizzeria Locale restaurants.