Chipotle milestones

1993:

Steve Ells, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, opens his first Chipotle Mexican Grill in Denver with an $80,000 loan from his father.

1998:

McDonald’s Corp. invests in Chipotle, which eventually becomes a McDonald’s subsidiary, and Chipotle aggressively expands.

2006:

With nearly 500 stores, Chipotle goes public at $22 a share as McDonald’s begins to unwind its ownership of the chain.

2014:

Chipotle’s annual revenue reaches $4.1 billion as its same-store sales, or sales at stores open at least one year, soar 16.8% from the prior year.

2015:

Chipotle’s stock hits record high of $757.77 a share on Aug. 5. Three months later, reports start to surface of E. coli and other food-borne illnesses at Chipotle restaurants that eventually spread to 15 states, notably in Washington and Oregon. Sales and customer traffic plunge.

2016:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention closes its probe of the Chipotle outbreaks without determining a food or ingredient responsible. Chipotle overhauls its food-safety procedures and offers discounts to regain lost customers.

2017:

Chipotle keeps expanding and ends the year with 2,408 restaurants.

2018:

Chipotle hires Brian Niccol, head of the Taco Bell fast-food chain, as its chief executive while Ells remains executive chairman.