If anyone knows a thing or two about taking regular, mere mortal food and making it 8,000 times more delicious, it's Chipotle, and now the restaurant chain is embarking on a brand new adventure — burgers. That's right, Chipotle is opening up a burger restaurant called Tasty Made. According to the Associated Press, the burrito joint is making its brave foray into the wild world of beef and buns and is planning to open up its first Tasty Made location in Lancaster, Ohio later this fall. As of right now, it looks like the menu is going to be limited to burgers, milkshakes, and fries, but hey! That's a classic combo I will never say no to.
There's still not a whole lot of info on how Tasty Made will work, but the news already has my mind running in approximately a billion different directions. Will customers get to choose their burger toppings and build custom-made burger creations a la the Chipotle burrito bowl? Will there be a Mexican grill-style burger piled high with corn salsa and fajita veggies? Will there be guac, and will it still cost extra? I may have to leave my imagination to its own devices for now until more details come forward, but let's focus on what we do know: Chipotle is branching out into burgers, and when Tasty Made finally opens its doors, it's going to be a glorious, glorious time for us all.
As always, ingredients matter, and Tasty Made has plans to use Responsibly Raised brand beef that is hormone- and antibiotic-free. “Chipotle has been focused on a long-term vision to change the way people think about and eat fast food,” Steve Ells, founder, chairman, and co-CEO of Chipotle, said in a press release statement. “At the heart of that is our commitment to great quality ingredients and classic cooking techniques — traits that are absolutely necessary to make the best tasting food, and that can be applied to number of kinds of cuisine.”
Chipotle super sleuths may have seen a move like this coming earlier this year when Chipotle reportedly filed a trademark for "Better Burger." As it turns out, Chipotle has a couple of food-related projects up its sleeve. According to the AP, the chain already has an Asian food concept in the works (it's called ShopHouse, for those interested), as well as a pizza concept it's calling Pizzeria Locale. In other words, Chipotle is here to take over the world and we have no choice but to just sit back, and eat it all up... literally.
We still have a few months to wait until Tasty Made becomes a reality in Ohio, but in the meantime, tide yourself over with a trip to Chipotle. The restaurant just added chorizo to its menu, and I am here for it — at least, until I can get my hands on a burger.
Images: Getty; Chipotle
