When one thinks Chipotle it usually means burritos. But starting this fall, the company is making a big push into a crowded market — the fast-food burger business.

For those lucky enough to live in Lancaster, Ohio, you will be the first to experience burgers done the Chipotle way in a venture the company is calling “Tasty Made.”

“Chipotle has been focused on a long-term vision to change the way people think about and eat fast food,” Steve Ells, founder and co-CEO of Chipotle, said in a release. “At the heart of that is our commitment to great quality ingredients and classic cooking techniques — traits that are absolutely necessary to make the best tasting food, and that can be applied to number of kinds of cuisine.”

To that end, Tasty Made is going to focus on burgers with beef that is raised without the use of antibiotics or added hormones. It also is going to focus just on burgers, fries, and shakes. The shakes will also feature a twist on freshness — using real eggs, milk, cream, and sugar.

Why the burger business though? Chipotle believes a modern twist on the classic fast-food restaurant is exactly what many Americans are craving for.

“Early fast food burger restaurants generally had focused menus,” Ells said. “We think there’s great strength in that original fast food model and wanted to create a restaurant built around that. Making only burgers, fries and shakes with really great ingredients, we think we can appeal to peoples’ timeless love of burgers, but in a way that is consistent with our long-term vision.”

It’s hard to argue, especially with sky-rocketing prices at places like McDonald’s and Burger King, and with those chains struggling to keep market share over healthier versions of the food they make. The trend has even crept into those chains, and new marketing focus is on those healthier and more organic items on the menu.

There’s also a bottom line issue for Chipotle as a company.

With losses from its core business down a lot thanks to worries over an E. Coli outbreak in 14 states last year, getting into the classic American food business seems like a ploy to regain some of that lost market share.

Can Chipotle get people to buy into burgers, and compete with the likes of Five Guys and plenty of other local burger options throughout the country? Time will tell, but they certainly are maximizing on the American wave for all everything fresh and organic.

[Business Insider]

About Andrew Coppens

Andy is a contributor to The Comeback as well as Publisher of Big Ten site talking10. He also is a member of the FWAA and has been covering college sports since 2011. Andy is an avid soccer fan and runs the Celtic FC site The Celtic Bhoys. If he's not writing about sports, you can find him enjoying them in front of the TV with a good beer!