Chipotle Unveils Chef And Music Line-Up For Cultivate Dallas-Ft. Worth Festival

DALLAS, July 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) announced today the celebrity chef and music line-up for Cultivate Dallas-Ft. Worth, which is making its southern debut on Saturday, October 18 in nearby Irving, Texas at Lake Carolyn. The one-day festival includes cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs, live music, local food artisans, regional beer and wines, a special Chipotle festival menu, a Kids' Zone with games and other activities that emphasize fresh and affordable food made with sustainable ingredients. Admission is free.

Celebrity chefs lined up for the event include Matt McCallister (FT33 in Dallas); Omar Flores (Casa Rubia in Dallas); Kent Rathbun (Abacus in Dallas and Jasper's in Plano, Houston and Austin); Paul Qui (Qui and East Side King in Austin); Sean Brock (Husk in Charleston and Nashville, and McCrady's in Charleston) and Amanda Freitag (Empire Diner in New York).

The musical line-up includes Amos Lee, O.A.R., MS MR, Sylvan Esso, and DJ Christopher Golub.

"Dallas is home to the South's first Chipotle restaurant, which opened more than 15 years ago. Its vibrant food and artisan community offers a solid foundation for an event like Cultivate that celebrates great local and artisanal foods while helping people understand how food should be raised and prepared," said Chris Arnold, communications director at Chipotle. "Cultivate allows attendees to interact with chefs, farmers and vendors – all while sampling foods exclusive to the festival."

Chipotle partnered with Lakewood Brewing Company of Garland, Texas to produce a one-of-a-kind "Cultivate Farmhouse Ale" that will be exclusively poured at Cultivate Dallas-Ft. Worth. The ale, an interpretation of a farmhouse-style brew, uses a never-before-tasted recipe with Bravo hops for a somewhat bitter herbal note that is balanced with moderately sweet malts and Cascade and Citra hops for floral and citrus flavors. The beer also features local Texas wildflower honey for sweetness.

Additionally, Chipotle's culinary team created a special menu that can only be purchased at the festival. Items include: a pork belly or barbacoa gordita; grilled chicken or Sofritas™ tacos; a baby kale and roasted corn salad; and a jasmine rice bowl with pork and chicken meatballs or organic tofu from ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen, Chipotle's Asian concept.

Additional Cultivate events were scheduled this year in San Francisco (June 7) and Minneapolis (Aug. 23). For more information on Cultivate Dallas-Ft. Worth, visit http://chipotlecultivate.com/cities/dallas-ft-worth/

ABOUT CHIPOTLE

Steve Ells, founder, chairman and co-CEO, started Chipotle with the idea that food served fast did not have to be a typical fast food experience. Today, Chipotle continues to offer a focused menu of burritos, tacos, burrito bowls (a burrito without the tortilla) and salads made from fresh, high-quality raw ingredients, prepared using classic cooking methods and served in a distinctive atmosphere. Through our vision of Food With Integrity, Chipotle is seeking better food from using ingredients that are not only fresh, but that—where possible—are sustainably grown and Responsibly Raised™ with respect for the animals, the land, and the farmers who produce the food. In order to achieve this vision, we focus on building a special people culture that is centered on creating teams of top performers empowered to achieve high standards. This people culture not only leads to a better dining experience for our customers, it also allows us to develop future leaders from within. Chipotle opened with a single restaurant in 1993 and currently operates more than 1,650 restaurants including seven ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen restaurants, and is an investor in an entity that owns and operates one Pizzeria Locale.

ABOUT LAKEWOOD BREWING COMPANY

Lakewood Brewing Company's origins may have started in a small garage in east Dallas, but they've quickly become one of the fastest growing craft breweries in North Texas. Producing internationally inspired, locally crafted beers with new, fresh ideas, its diverse varieties include year-round, seasonal, and small-batch brews. Lakewood beers are available throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area in discerning bars, fine restaurants, and select retailers. For locations and more information, please visit lakewoodbrewing.com or visit facebook.com/lakewoodbrewing.

Contact: Rebecca Wilkins / Christelle Dupont

[email protected] / [email protected]

214-379-7000

SOURCE Chipotle Mexican Grill