Chipotle: Fast Food vs. Food Fast

I am pretty open about my love for Chipotle.  At Christmas time I can always expect a few gift cards for more burritos and I’ve spent an embarrassing amount of anniversaries/valentines’ day there.  In short, I spend a lot of time thinking about it. However, if you asked me to list a fast food venue it would probably take a few minutes to think of Chipotle.  Now Mcdonalds and Chipotle both share a basic structure, both being chains that serve simple and inexpensive food quickly and through a “manufacturing line” process. Yet these two restaurants are often classified into two different genres, with Mcdonalds being deemed inferior. So what accounts for this difference?
The first difference that occurs to me is the way the food is cooked and presented.  A Chipotle typically contains a grill in open view of the customer where the meat is cooked and puts all ingredients on a protected counter for customers to select. Additionally, the ingredients are largely kept in their “natural state” and are recognizable for what they are.  I believe this causes the customer to feel more connected and comfortable with the food and perceive it as healthier/more natural. This is in stark contrast to Mcdonalds, which although often has visible kitchens does not allow the customer to see the cooking process or choose their ingredients directly. This dynamic causes the consumer to become more distanced from the food they are eating. Additionally, the food at a Mcdonalds is often processed and hardly recognizable from its natural state. These traits are typically connected with lower quality or undesirable food.
Additionally, Chipotle is closely linked with the Tex-Mex style of cooking and flavors. Although many would be quick to point out that Chipotle contains very little in common with traditional Mexican food, it is clearly supposed to be linked to those flavors. I believe the fact that Chipotle’s food contains recognizable flavors that can be linked to a specific region and inspiration goes a long way towards elevating the food. Since it establishes the food as distinct from the typically daily diets of most Wheaton students and is viewed as a treat. Other fast food places typically produce more broadly “American foods”, like burgers or chicken. Since these foods lack a visible inspiration or flavor they are either to dismiss or view as unremarkable.
So those are some of the superficial differences that I believe account for the difference between Chipotle and other fast food places. I hope this piece doesn’t sound like I am bashing Mcdonalds, I just really like Chipotle.