I love Chipotle. Not only because of the delicious guacamole and chicken burrito bowls I customize to tasty perfection, but because of their food packaging. If you haven’t noticed, the world’s favorite fast food burrito chain (in my opinion) is printing poems, philosophy notes, short stories and intelligent musings all over their bags and cups in a series called “Cultivating Thought.” The inspiration behind these words of wisdom and chuckle-inducing notes wasn’t rocket science. Nope. It was born from author Jonathan Safran Foer’s boredom one day while eating alone at Chipotle; he simply wished he had something to read.
And there you have it, insta-brilliance: take advantage of the prime real estate found on food packaging and add something interesting, thought-provoking and/or witty. Although it seems simple, this small act of creative genius is helping spread literature, culture, voice and fun into the occasionally mundane lives we lead. I love the notion that some little kid somewhere is eating his chicken taco with mild salsa and enjoying the original text of George Saunders. I’m smiling ear to ear knowing that the next time I grab a bite at the Chipotle down the street, I could be admiring words from Pulitzer and Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison or hilarious writer/director/producer, Judd Apatow.
With 32 million U.S. adults unable to read and 21 percent reading below a 5th-grade level, this topic got me thinking about how our culture promotes—or doesn’t promote—literacy in school and in free time. Fifty-three percent of 4th-graders admit to reading recreationally “almost every day,” while that number drops to 20 percent for 8th-graders.
Maybe that’s why I love Chipotle and other companies, like Starbucks, for writing something worth reading on its branded space. Yes, as a writer I do have an above-average appreciation for words, but that wasn’t always the case. My love for writing and storytelling came from early exposure to it at a young age.
So let’s continue to print interesting words and clever tales. Let’s turn every blank piece of paper or wall into a work of art. And let’s build some intrigue in knowing what it all says—so that the world remembers how important it is to care about words.
Side note: A special thank you to Chipotle for the wonderful combination of two of my favorite things—food and words.