People We're Pleased to Know - Part 1

In 1984, Houman Iskandani found himself in France, alone, unable to speak the language and uncertain about his future. Sent there by his parents in a life-or-death effort to avoid compulsory military service in the Iran-Iraq war, Houman was 14 years old.

He scraped by, walking dogs and gardening while living in a closet-sized apartment. He sat in the back row of a class of first-graders to learn French. He taught himself first how to boil water, then to cook.

By 18, Houman was fluent in French, had graduated from high school and been accepted to college in the United States. A vacation took him to Denver, and the mountains and climate reminded him of his native Tehran. It was there he met and fell in love with Chipotle. We were smitten, too.

Now, years later, Houman happily oversees a number of our restaurants. He's a newly anointed American citizen with a wonderful wife, a home, and a dog he walks purely for pleasure. He has a contagious appreciation for life and a remarkable story he's reticent to share. Houman's journey always reminds us where character and fierce determination can lead.