Chipotle funds CIA culinary scholarships

Nation's Restaurant News,  August 27, 2007  

Tags: CIA

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DENVER -- Chipotle Mexican Grill, the 640-unit burrito specialty chain based here, has established a scholarship fund at the Culinary Institute of America, the Hyde Park, N.Y.-based alma mater of Chipotle founder Steve Ells.

Chipotle will give $10,000 each year for the next five years to the Chipotle Mexican Grill Endowed Scholarship Fund. It will award some $2,500 each year to a deserving student or students once the principal balance has been raised and will continue in perpetuity.

In addition, Chipotle during this current school year will award a $2,500 scholarship to a student in either the Associate in Occupational Studies in Culinary Arts or the Bachelor of Professional Studies in Culinary Arts Management degree programs.

The recipient must demonstrate support for sustainable agricultural practices that is consistent with Chipotle's philosophy. The chain's restaurants strive to serve hormone-free meat and dairy products, and about one-fourth of the beans it buys are organically grown.

"My time at the Culinary Institute of America provided a great foundation when I was starting my career and taught me many lessons that are still valuable today," Ells said. "In many ways I was lucky. Not everyone has the resources or support they need to help realize their dreams."

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