Discovering places to eat in metro Detroit that keep the environment in mind in all aspects of business and customer service seems to be getting easier with each passing day.
While there are a number of locally-owned, one-of-a-kind restaurants in the area that use local, organic ingredients, there are also some hidden national chains that are doing the same thing, but maybe not as many people know about them.
Chipotle Mexican Grill is one such restaurants. It began as a place where CEO Steve Ells wanted to make delicious foods with the finest ingredients, and he wanted to do it quickly and affordably.
However, with the expansion of Chipotle, Ells realized there were many negative aspects of how food is produced and processed in the U.S. “Pigs are raised in stark confinement, produce is grown on vast factory farms with little or no regard for the environment, and dairy cows are confined and injected with hormones that make them produce eight times their normal amount,” Ells said on the Chipotle Web site.
Because of Ells’ discoveries, he decided to do something a little different. That’s why he decided his restaurants would serve food with more integrity.
“Food with integrity is our commitment to finding the very best ingredients raised with respect for the animals, the environment and the farmers,” according to the Web site. This mission statement means:
- Serving the best sustainably raised food possible with an eye for great taste, nutrition and value
- Supporting and sustaining family farmers to respect the land and the animals in their care
- Whenever possible, using meat from animals raised without the use of antibiotics or added hormones
- Sourcing organic and local produce when practical and using dairy from cows raised without the use of synthetic hormones
“’Food with Integrity’ is our commitment to always look closer, dig deeper, and work harder to ensure that our actions are making things better, not worse,” Ells said. “It’s our promise to run our business in a way that does not exploit animals, people or the environment. It is the philosophy that guides every decision we make at Chipotle.”
Click here to be introduced to someone who can further assist you with fresh locally grown produce
Jennifer Griffin, Contributing Writer and Public Relations, GreeningDetroit.com
Jennifer is pursuing a degree in Journalism and English from Wayne State University, and she is also a Contributing Writer for The South End.