It all began in 1993 with a single restaurant. Now, the booming fast-casual chain -- which serves up sustainably made burritos and tacos -- has roughly 1,150 locations and is planning a foray into Chinese food.
Chipotle appeared on this list at No. 83 and has since been working its way up -- to No. 60 in 2010 and No. 54 in 2011. Last year, the company reported that it had added 129 stores (it plans to open as many as 145 by the end of 2011) and saw record-level profit margins, pulling down $180 million in profits for 2010.
Editor's note: A previous version of this slide incorrectly stated Chipotle's profits for 2010. This has been corrected.
Fortune's annual roster of high performers reveals the promising saplings that are rising in a difficult economy and some stalwarts that deliver year after year.
