Chipotle Leaving Denver, Moving Corporate Offices

DENVER, CO -- Denver-based Chipotle Mexican Grill announced Wednesday their corporate headquarters will relocate to Newport Beach, California. The company is under new leadership with the hiring of ex-Taco Bell CEO Brian Niccol in March.

"We'll always be proud of our Denver roots where we opened our first restaurant 25 years ago," Niccol said in a company statement. "The consolidation of offices and the move to California will help us drive sustainable growth while continuing to position us well in the competition for top talent."

Over the next six months, Chipotle will transition its Denver and New York office functions to Newport Beach and offices in Columbus, Ohio, the company said. Then the company will close both New York and Denver locations.

This move will affect approximately 400 employees in both Denver and New York, the company said. The company has about 375 employees in Denver, according to published sources. Some employees, but not all, will be offered relocation and retention packages.

Chipotle founder Steve Ells built the business of 2,300 Chipotle fast-casual restaurants from a first location at University of Denver. The company's business model insists on all fresh (not frozen) ingredients and does not franchise individual locations. Chipotle had a significant financial setback when shares fell after a 2015 E. coli outbreak that caused 60 cases resulting in 22 hospitalizations in 14 states. Norovirus outbreaks traced to Chipotle restaurants in Boston in 2015 and Sterling, Virginia in 2017 sickened almost 200 people.

After shareholder complaints, Ells was ousted and replaced by Niccol, who hails from Newport Beach.

Before the leadership transition, the company announced in December they would be leasing five floors in a brand new Denver skyscraper, the Denver Post reported.

Image via Patch.com