Oct. 2, 2008 - Chipotle Mexican Grill has added a new ingredient to its recipe for green restaurant design: an on-site wind turbine that will generate electricity for its new location in Gurnee, Ill.

The wind turbine will generate about ten percent of the restaurant's electrical power, according to company estimates.

"The wind turbine is a symbol of our intent to design and build our restaurants more efficiently and environmentally friendly," says Chipotle CEO Steve Ells. "We want to incorporate some elements of sustainable design into all of our new restaurants."

Other green features in the new restaurant include:

• Recycled-content drywall and metals, as well as primers and paints that contain fewer chemicals
• Energy-efficient LED lighting, low-flow faucets and toilets, and Energy Star-rated kitchen equipment
• A 2,500-gallon underground water cistern that will harvest rainwater to irrigate the landscape
• Landscaping with native plants that will require less watering and fertilizer
• Asphalt in the parking lot that reflects rather than absorbs the sun's heat

Chipotle will seek LEED certification for the new restaurant, which would make it among the first LEED-certified restaurants in the country. The company is a participant in the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED for Retail pilot program.

Last month, Chipotle was named one of SB20's Green Pioneers of 2008, for serving more locally sourced produce and 100% free-range pork and chicken in all of its 730 restaurants.