Chipotle's Denver start (1993)
Chipotle opened its first restaurant in Denver in 1993, near the University of Denver, serving burritos and tacos. Founder Steve Ells started with a single shop and a small loan.
The location drew students and neighborhood regulars, and Ells added more Denver stores in the following years.
Chipotle grew into a national fast-casual chain, proving Denver can support and launch restaurant concepts that scale.
Shows Denver's track record as a restaurant market that rewards quality concepts, though Egg Harbor is a transplant rather than a local start.
