When I arrived on campus, I quickly gathered that everyone was obsessed with Chipotle. I also learned this year would be a good year, because right before the start of the semester a Chipotle opened within walking distance of campus. I was told by upperclassmen I didn’t know how good I had it, because before this year, the closest Chipotle was 20 minutes away.

So, why is everyone obsessed with Chipotle? Well, it might be just because they make tasty burritos. But there are so many more reasons to be in love with the company. Chipotle is one of the best national chains in terms of their commitment to sustainability, food quality, and employee and workplace practices. Their menu is simple and clean, while still offering plenty of options for vegetarians, and even vegans.

I didn’t always feel this way, though. I used to be lost in the dark. I would say, “What’s the big deal? Qdoba and Moe’s Southwest Grill are exactly the same.” I couldn’t have been more wrong. While the three organizations have similar menus and serving styles, Chipotle is far and beyond the best.

The first thing that really sets Chipotle apart from the other two chains is their sustainability practices.

• They use local, fresh ingredients that are free of genetically modified organisms or GMO’s.
• Last year alone they served 20 million pounds of local food.
• Chipotle gets their meat from pasture raised animals and animals grown without the daily use of hormones.
• Their commitment to buying local foods cuts down on fuel emissions used to transport food.
• The farms they buy from create less need for pesticides, herbicides, and antibiotics through a more humane approach to farming.
• They stopped serving carnitas when they found out one of their main suppliers of pork was violating Chipotle’s animal welfare standards. They willingly stopped serving a popular menu item, when it meant the environment and animals would take a hit.

Their food is fresh. Actually, really fresh. As in fresh. The employees arrive in the morning and spend hours prepping the food for lunch time. They cut the vegetables, cook the meat, and create the salsas for three hours each day.

• They were the first national restaurant to disclose the use of GMO’s in their food. As of 2015, they no longer use ingredients with GMO’s.
• Chipotle trains their employees to get the most out of a vegetable when preparing them in an effort to cut down on food waste.
• Leftover food gets donated, instead of thrown away. This year they donated 7, 188, 145 meals to local community organizations

As if all those things weren’t outstanding enough for a national restaurant chain, after all the food prep is done they sit down for a meal together. I’m not even joking. I interviewed at a Chipotle once, and they were eating together during my interview. Just before they opened up to the public and after they were done prepping, they all sat down at a long table and ate some yummy burritos, burrito bowls, and salads. It was impressive. I have never seen or heard about something similar to that at a corporate restaurant chain.

Chipotle is also well known for the mobility it offers its employees within the chain. They are committed to hiring managers and executives from within. In addition, their entry level position as a crew member offers a variety of benefits including paid vacation, free meals, 401 (k), tuition reimbursement, and health insurance. It is frequent at Chipotle that someone starts out making burritos for $9 an hour with no previous experience and then moves up to being a general manager making $67,000 a year, and then even a restaurateur making $125,000 a year.

They are really setting a standard in a lot of different areas that hopefully other chains will catch on to. Now, you can feel good about the weekly bill you rack up at Chipotle. By eating at Chipotle not only are you satisfying your hunger and taste buds, you are supporting a new future for restaurant corporations.