Big-Minded CEO, Small Minds Elsewhere
Pros
The CEO - Steve Ellis seems like a genuine guy with a great mind and heart. I was proud to work for him. The Restaurants - Nicely designed, cool industrial theme, and hip music. The Menu - Focused, fresh, simple, and tasty. This helps keep inventory costs down and the food fresh. The Ethics - Chipotle supports a food system that eliminates or reduces the harms it causes. Growth - Its a growing company with opportunities to move up from the bottom.
Cons
My Immediate Boss - He was a minimal worker who belittled his employees and played small-minded games pitting people against each other. He was good a playing power politics, so he kept his job despite these pitfalls. The fact that he was also a serial wife-cheater gives him zero extra credit. The Judge Judy Co-Workers - I'm a friendly, genuine guy who was thrown into a pack of wolves. In my restaurant, I was working with a lot of hurt people who spent their energies hurting others, like the people on many daytime TV programs. The Expectations - The company expected people to move faster than human beings normally move, and this caused stress in the restaurant and harmed the customer experience. I don't like sweaty, obviously hurried people cooking and making my food, and that was the unfortunate reality at the restaurant I worked at far too often. The Rio Grande Gap - The English-speaking managers talked badly about the Spanish-speaking workers; and the reverse was true. This reality created yet more petty dysfunction that took focus away from positive goals.