Ells founded Chipotle in 1993,[1] and under his direction,[2] the chain serves what it describes as "naturally raised meat" and promotes sustainable agriculture.
On March 6, 2020, Ells resigned as chairman and left the board of directors, breaking his final ties to the company.
[7] Ells served for two years as a sous chef under Jeremiah Tower[8] at Stars restaurant in San Francisco prior to launching Chipotle.
[1] In 2010, Ells joined the judging and investment panel on NBC's series America's Next Great Restaurant alongside Bobby Flay, Curtis Stone and Lorena Garcia.
In 2013, The New York Times reported he was paid $25.1 million, more than equivalent executives in companies like Ford, Boeing, and AT&T.