Chipotle CMG

Founded in 1993 by Steve Ells, Chipotle started as a Denver burrito joint with a mission to make fast food “fresh” and “sustainable”—buzzwords that somehow justified charging $10 for a burrito. The brand's “Food with Integrity” mantra struck a chord, leading to a wildly successful IPO in 2006, with shares tripling in value within a year. But Chipotle’s journey from culinary darling to PR disaster was swift; a series of E. coli outbreaks in 2015 sent its stock plummeting and left customers questioning whether integrity included washing the lettuce. Despite the setbacks, Chipotle managed to bounce back under CEO Brian Niccol, embracing digital innovation and loyalty programs that reignited its growth. The brand’s legacy? A trailblazer in the fast-casual revolution that taught the industry that people would indeed pay more for “natural” food, even if it occasionally made them sick—proving that in the world of dining, a good comeback is always on the menu.