DENVER – Curt Garner, who spent 18 years at Seattle-based Starbucks Coffee Corp., has joined Chipotle Mexican Grill as chief information officer, a position Garner also held at Starbucks. The appointment is effective Nov. 23. 

Curt Garner, Chipotle's new CIO

“We are changing the way people think about and eat fast food,” said Steve Ells, founder, chairman and co-CEO of Chipotle. “Inherent in that vision is our quest to provide the very best restaurant experience we can. As we look for ways to create efficiencies in our restaurants and improve the customer experience through the strategic use of technology, Curt’s experience and expertise make him an ideal and welcome addition to our management team.”

Garner held a variety of roles at Starbucks before joining Chipotle. He is credited with guiding the growth of Starbucks’ technology infrastructure when the company had fewer than 2,000 stores. Garner also worked in a technology leadership position at Wendy’s International Inc. He is a 1991 graduate of The Ohio State Univ. with a bachelor’s in economics.

“Chipotle is a tremendous company with and important mission and remarkably loyal customers,” Garner said. “I am thrilled to join such a dynamic organization at a time when investments in technology infrastructure can help the company create a technology platform that is on par with the leadership they have already established in terms of their food culture, people culture, and unit economic model.”