Chipotle Burrito Bowl

Steve Ells opened the first Chipotle in 1993 to fund his fine-dining restaurant dreams. The burrito bowl — which is literally just a burrito without the tortilla — became the item that turned Chipotle into a $70 billion company. The "build your own" assembly line format, combined with the perception of fresh ingredients ("Food with Integrity"), created a fast-casual category that didn't exist before. Chipotle serves 1 million+ bowls per day and has survived two E. coli outbreaks, a norovirus scandal, and a CEO firing. The burrito bowl is proof that the container (or absence of one) can be as important as the content.