Introduction
Founded in 1993, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. has expanded from a local favorite consisting of a single location in Colorado to an international chain with over 1500 locations today. There are countless example of various corporations that experience growth trends similar to that of Chipotle’s, however, as a result of the rapid expansion and gains in sales, most of these corporations tend to neglect their corporate social responsibilities (CSR). Chipotle, on the other hand, does not fall susceptible to this trend. Through a complete examination of Chipotle’s CSR initiatives and activities, as well as detailed explanations of Chipotle’s contributions to the three “pillars” of sustainable development, one is able to see that Chipotle is a leader and an innovator in its industry regarding the corporate management of ethical dilemmas and moral responsibilities. A thorough comparison with a similar corporation in the same industry, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Inc., provides further evidence that Chipotle places immense value corporate transparency and quality morals in addition to being a genuinely ethical and responsible corporation. Following the major comparison are explanations of possible underlying motives and “market nudges” leading Chipotle to participate in particular CSR activities. Lastly, a discussion of government initiatives and potential upcoming regulations has been included to indicate the possible future direction of every firm’s corporate social responsibilities. Does Chipotle contribute to every “pillar” of sustainable development (environmental, social and economic)? In short, the answer is yes they do, both internally (referring to Chipotle’s normal supply chain operations) as well as externally (referring to the contributions that are unrelated to the normal supply chain operations). However, it is important that one first