Chipotle, once the baby of the McDonalds corporation, but now an independent fast-food chain with more than 600 stores, is set to open on Rt. 235 in California. Below is a press release from the corporation announcing their grand opening. Click HERE for more information on the company.

Chipotle, (chi-POAT-lay), the restaurant chain where, according to the New York Times' Amanda Hesser, you can, "witness-and taste-a shift in American fast food"  toward "healthful, sustainable" fare, will start dishing up its award-winning gourmet burritos, bols, tacos and salads on Saturday, July 7 at Rt. 235 and Maple Road.

As a pre-opening event from 5pm until 8 pm on Friday, July 6, Chipotle will throw a fundraiser for St. Mary's County Recreation, Park and Community Services. A $5 donation at the door will be rewarded with a big gourmet burrito, chips and salsa and a drink. All of the money raised will go to support recreational activities for people with disabilities in St. Mary’s County.

Distinguished by fresh, high-quality food, cool decor and speedy service, Chipotle Mexican Grill is playing a leading role in the quick-gourmet restaurant industry with its vision of Food with Integrity (FWI). Chipotle’s FWI philosophy stems from Founder, Chairman and CEO Steve Ells' commitment to move the restaurant chain toward using all responsibly and sustainably farmed ingredients.

Chipotle has been on a mission to change the way people think about and eat fast food since opening its first restaurant in 1993. Aiming to show that food that was served fast doesn't have to be a typical fast food experience; Chipotle uses only fresh ingredients prepared in front of customers in an open kitchen. The menu focuses on just two things, yet with countless customer options. It has a hip, clean dining room, great music and gourmet food you can eat with your hands and fill up in 15 minutes for about $6.

Yet, Chipotle recognizes that fresh isn't enough. It's only a starting point. To serve the best tasting food, it is important to understand how animals are raised and vegetables are grown. This thinking is at the core of Food with Integrity.

In spite of a limited supply and rapidly increasing demand for these better ingredients, Chipotle has made significant progress. Six years ago, it introduced naturally raised pork, then chicken in 2002, and beef in 2004. Today, all the pork Chipotle serves is naturally raised, as is more than half of its chicken and a nearly half of its beef.  In all, Chipotle now sells more naturally raised meat than any other restaurant company. Its sour cream is made from rBGH-free milk and 25% of the black and pinto beans that Chipotle purchases are organically grown. That percentage will increase as Chipotle finds more farmers who grow high-quality organic beans.

"More and more, we're able to push farther to have a meaningful impact on the way people eat," explains Ells. "But there isn't a switch you can throw to make this happen all at once. It's an incremental revolution, and we're committed to being part of it."

Chipotle must be on to something. In a 2006 industry report issued by CIBC World Markets, Chipotle was listed - along with Whole Foods Market - as one of the highest-grossing restaurants for take-out in 2005. The report cited Chipotle's focus on ``Food with Integrity' as a reason for the brand's success, particularly in a consumer marketplace in which organic and natural foods are a $25 to $30 billion industry.

"There's an evolution going on in fast food," Ells says. "It's the same thing that happened when people decided a cup of gourmet coffee was worth forgoing the office coffee pot and paying $3 for something made in front of them. People will pay for quality. Fast food is moving in that same direction."

During the past 14 years, Ells has taken Chipotle from a single 20-seat restaurant in Denver to more than 600 restaurants in cities across the nation including Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Cleveland, Atlanta, Washington, DC, Boston, Seattle, Orlando, and Kansas City. More are planned.

The design of each Chipotle also mirrors Ells' food philosophy. His design team has incorporated the principals of sustainable architecture in all new building projects since 2001 and included many of those elements in existing Chipotles. In fact, two Chipotles in Austin, Texas are certified green. And, while all Chipotle restaurants use similar materials to achieve a sparse, clean, urban look, no two are alike. Chipotle uses existing space, incorporating its inherent architectural elements rather than building from the ground up, to achieve a neighborhood feel for each restaurant

The St. Mary's County Chipotle will seat 67 inside and 30 on the outdoors patio. It also will feature a fax/dsl pick up line.

"The design of our restaurants complements the food," Ells says. "Environment should add to the dining experience, not detract from it".