News

July 13, 2009

A Chipotle Becomes First Platinum LEED Restaurant

A windmill-equipped Chipotle Mexican Grill in Gurnee, Ill., received platinum-level certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design from the U.S. Green Building Council.

The platinum certification is the Council's highest designation and a first for the restaurant industry, according to chain officials. Only facilities that meet the group's most stringent standards for conserving resources receive the certification.

Although several restaurants are LEED certified for their "greenness," no other restaurant has earned the platinum-level distinction, according to Chipotle.

The Gurnee, Ill., restaurant was built in 2008 with guidance from the council, the fast-casual chain said. Its conservation features include construction materials recycled from other facilities and a 2,500-gallon subterranean cistern that collects rainwater off the restaurant's roof. The location also sports a six-kilowatt wind turbine that partially powers the store.

"Part of changing the way the world thinks about and eats fast food is designing and building restaurants in more environmentally friendly ways," Steve Ells, Chipotle's founder and co-CEO, said in a statement. "Our team worked hard to ensure that sustainable elements that made sense for this location were seamlessly incorporated into the design of the restaurant, while still giving it the iconic look of a Chipotle."

"The project's effective use of natural resources and sustainable design elements serve as a model for other LEED for Retail projects, and Chipotle has become a driving force in the green building movement," said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair of the Council.

Under the LEED for Retail program, restaurants and other retailers construct a prototype according to the Council's LEED-certification standards. Subsequent restaurants that follow the prototypical design could be LEED certified more quickly. Some restaurateurs have voiced hopes the certification could become automatic.

Chipotle said it is awaiting LEED certification on some of its 860 burrito restaurants.