What comes to many people’s minds when they hear about Chipotle is that it is one of the best fast-food restaurants with quality meals.
What is a fast-food restaurant, and is there other types of restaurants? Is Chipotle even a fast-food restaurant? Let’s find out
Is Chipotle Fast Food?
No, Chipotle is not considered a fast-food restaurant. Chipotle is considered an American chain of fast-casual restaurants. There is a significant difference in the quality of food, service style, and atmosphere between fast-food restaurants and fast-casual ones.
The restaurant came to life in 1993, bridging the gap between fast-food restaurants and casual sit-down restaurants.
Therefore, it has been able to offer freshly prepared food using quality ingredients like fast-food restaurants. To learn more about the difference between fast-food and fast-casual, keep reading…

Would Chipotle Be Considered Fast Food?
Chipotle is an American chain of fast-casual restaurants born of the radical belief that you can offer food like a casual restaurant at a convenience seen in fast-food restaurants.
The following reasons are why you shouldn’t consider it as one:
Quality of Food
Chipotle dishes out the best meals among its contemporary.
As a fast-casual restaurant, it uses unprocessed foods with no preservatives or hormones and top-notch nutritious meals.
This is unlike a fast-food restaurant that deals with only already prepared foods.
Price of Food
Chipotle is quite pricey compared to regular fast-food restaurants. They set themselves apart at price because of their confidence in giving higher food quality.
Customer Experience
Fast food restaurants are more focused on getting diners coming in out. Therefore, there is not much deep desire to give diners a good customer experience.
Chipotle offers a wide range of customer services like a superb ambiance, customizable menu cards, and a conducive atmosphere for a quality dining experience.
Mode of Ordering Food
Fast food restaurants’ mode of ordering food is by visiting the front counter or using an electronic terminal. However, in Chipotle, diners order through a menu board or via mobile or online.
Is Chipotle a Healthy Fast Food?
Chipotle takes every step towards creating healthy and nutritious meals. So, is chipotle a healthy fast-food restaurant? No, it is a healthy fast-casual restaurant.
Below are a few reasons why we think they are a healthy option for you:
Chipotle’s Nutrition Calculator
Chipotle allows its users to calculate the calories of food they need using the nutrition calculator.
This allows customers to pick and balance the necessary calories to suit their health.
Quality of Meals
Chipotle is popular for the quality, unprocessed ingredients for making meals.
They offer many nutrient-rich, no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives food to fill your taste buds.
Fast-Casual vs. Fast Food
After realizing that Chipotle is a fast-casual restaurant, it is normal to wonder what is the difference between fast-casual and fast food. Below are some differences you should take note of.
Cost and Quality of Food
Fast-casual restaurants emphasize good food quality like freshly made meals, unprocessed foods, etc.
However, it all comes in pricey. Unlike fast food, where food is not as high quality as the latter but not too expensive, it is more affordable.
Service Style
Fast-casual restaurants offer a good customer experience, more menu customizations regarding meal options, and a good ambiance.
On the other hand, fast food has services like self-services like ordering food and picking it up with simpler menus.
Atmosphere
Fast-casual restaurants focus on creating a wholesome look and feel where diners can come in, sit, and stay a while still achieving an enjoyable meal time.
In contrast, fast food restaurants have an atmosphere where people can come in and leave as quickly as possible.
Want to learn more about Chipotle? Check out our related posts to learn if Chipotle has WiFi, does Chipotle serve alcohol, and if Chipotle has a drive thru.
Conclusion…
Thanks for sticking around! It has been established that Chipotle is a fast-casual restaurant that offers you one of most healthy food you can get around.
Chipotle is a good restaurant for you to wine and dine while delivering one of most pleasurable meal time.