Photo by Mark Antonation, taken at the first Chipotle on East Evans Avenue in Denver, Colorado
When I met my soon-to-be wife, she introduced me to her childhood friend, Steve Ells. He was a chef who had a degree in art history, and he was designing some industrial furniture that I helped him with.
When he had the idea to open a burrito stand in Denver, he asked me to co-design and build some chairs, plus come up with an idea for some decorative sculpture. "Mexican food, Mexican artwork" was all the direction I needed.
I'm a huge fan of all ancient art, so the designs of the Mayan culture were a natural inspiration. The designs are complicated, lyrical, and humorous. I liked imagining how all the curves would play against the sharp, square lines being designed for the interior space.
The first Chipotle was under construction in Denver. I visited the site and grabbed a bunch of the materials that were being incorporated: birch plywood, corrugated barn metal, aluminum plate. I also decided to borrow the use of exposed hardware, like screws, bolts, and washers.
One store led to more, then four, then twelve...and I needed help. With a team of talented artist friends, I created the business Mayatek, and we made chairs and artwork for over 2000 restaurants that are on display across the country and internationally.
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