--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I certainly could've made a lot more…" description: "\"I certainly could've made a lot more money buying cheap ingredients, and people might not have been able to tell the difference. That was never a part ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa1/steve-ells-9755_dna_i-certainly-could-ve-made-a-lot-more-mon_1473877.jpg" --- # I certainly could've made a lot more money buying cheap… ![“I certainly could've made a lot more money buying cheap ingredients, and people might not have been able to tell the difference. That was never a part of the calculus. It was not part of my DNA.” quote by Steve Ells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa1/steve-ells-9755_dna_i-certainly-could-ve-made-a-lot-more-mon_1473877.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa1/steve-ells-9755_dna_i-certainly-could-ve-made-a-lot-more-mon_1473877.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa1/steve-ells-9755_dna_i-certainly-could-ve-made-a-lot-more-mon_1473877.jpg) > “I certainly could've made a lot more money buying cheap ingredients, and people might not have been able to tell the difference. That was never a part of the calculus. It was not part of my DNA.” [Steve Ells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-ells/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He prioritized brand identity over cost savings, refusing to compromise perceived quality for profit. **In simple terms:** He chose brand over cheap ingredients. Key Takeaway Maintain brand integrity over short‑term gains. Themes brand quality profit identity Mood pragmatic defensive Type business philosophical When to use this quote - restaurant pricing - product development - marketing strategy Key Concepts cost‑benefit analysis brand loyalty consumer perception Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance quality and price? - When is brand image worth the expense? A Different Perspective Compromising on cost may alienate price‑sensitive customers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dna/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [Chefs are artists, and I couldn't be happy with my art if I was forced to use cheap ingredients.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nobu-matsuhisa/chefs-are-artists-and-i-couldn-t-be-happy-with-my-art-if-i-was-forced/) [Nobu Matsuhisa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nobu-matsuhisa/) > [I love the idea of not being able to afford something and just making your own version or buying a cheap knock-off instead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunx/i-love-the-idea-of-not-being-able-to-afford-something-and-just-making/) Hunx > [Buying cheap to save money is like stopping the clock to save time. Neither works.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/buying-cheap-to-save-money-is-like-stopping-the-clock-to-save-time/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [One valuable lesson I learned is that buying cheap is very important. Buying without debt is also very important. Leverage is your enemy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lichtenstein/one-valuable-lesson-i-learned-is-that-buying-cheap-is-very-important/) [David Lichtenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lichtenstein/) > [Look at the big-ticket items, in your budget. Your home or apartment. Your car. Your insurance. If you are overspending on these big monthly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/look-at-the-big-ticket-items-in-your-budget-your-home-or-apartment/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [There's a lot of things that haven't been communicated to our communities. I didn't know these things myself. I didn't know that if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/there-s-a-lot-of-things-that-haven-t-been-communicated-to-our/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) > [You don't get rewarded for taking risk; you get rewarded for buying cheap assets. And if the assets you bought got pushed up in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-grantham/you-don-t-get-rewarded-for-taking-risk-you-get-rewarded-for-buying/) [Jeremy Grantham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-grantham/) > [I want consumers to connect the dots, to go to any store and look at the label and connect the dots between buying cheap…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-navarro/i-want-consumers-to-connect-the-dots-to-go-to-any-store-and-look-at/) [Peter Navarro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-navarro/) > [Nothing you will ever do in your lifetime is likely to make you as much money as buying a home and living in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bach/nothing-you-will-ever-do-in-your-lifetime-is-likely-to-make-you-as/) [David Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bach/) > [For mines are for men, not for money. And money is not something to go mad about, and throw your hat into the air…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-paton/for-mines-are-for-men-not-for-money-and-money-is-not-something-to-go/) [Alan Paton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-paton/) > [The goal is to win. It's not about making money. I have many much less risky ways of making money than this (buying Chelsea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-abramovich/the-goal-is-to-win-it-s-not-about-making-money-i-have-many-much-less/) [Roman Abramovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-abramovich/) > [People who get to express their voice are paid by the people who make profit from it. So they're going to make you believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-gondry/people-who-get-to-express-their-voice-are-paid-by-the-people-who-make/) [Michel Gondry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-gondry/) > [Gold is not overvalued at $500, and gold will not be overvalued at $1,500 or $2,000. The real money is buying gold and putting it away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/gold-is-not-overvalued-at-500-and-gold-will-not-be-overvalued-at-1/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [The big money is not in the buying and selling ... but in the waiting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/the-big-money-is-not-in-the-buying-and-selling-but-in-the-waiting/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) > [Why would you pour a foundation, buy machines, hire employees, if you can make as much money buying bonds?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-stronach/why-would-you-pour-a-foundation-buy-machines-hire-employees-if-you/) Frank Stronach ## More by Steve Ells > [You know, I hate to borrow Apple's tag, but think different. Really. From the very beginning. I didn't know what the fast-food rules were.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-ells/you-know-i-hate-to-borrow-apple-s-tag-but-think-different-really-from/) [Steve Ells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-ells/) > [The economic model was formed by the constraints that I had: a small space, relatively inexpensive building materials, relatively inexpensive investment, a very efficient…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-ells/the-economic-model-was-formed-by-the-constraints-that-i-had-a-small/) [Steve Ells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-ells/) > [When I started on the very first day with just one restaurant, we used to pick oregano off the stems and chop them. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-ells/when-i-started-on-the-very-first-day-with-just-one-restaurant-we-used/) [Steve Ells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-ells/) > [We have two day-parts, lunch and dinner. We don't have breakfast. We don't have drive-thru. We don't have late night. We don't have 24-hours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-ells/we-have-two-day-parts-lunch-and-dinner-we-don-t-have-breakfast-we-don/) [Steve Ells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-ells/) > [If we really want to change the way Americans eat, we need to make delicious, sustainably-raised food accessible to everyone. Most people are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-ells/if-we-really-want-to-change-the-way-americans-eat-we-need-to-make/) [Steve Ells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-ells/) > [Our investors are here for only one reason: great returns. They want to make money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-ells/our-investors-are-here-for-only-one-reason-great-returns-they-want-to/) [Steve Ells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-ells/) > [One of the pivotal moments for me was realizing that our 'food with integrity' approach at Chipotle was satisfying my passion. That's about bringing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-ells/one-of-the-pivotal-moments-for-me-was-realizing-that-our-food-with/) [Steve Ells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-ells/) > [When our folks focus on exactly what is needed to succeed in the restaurants, they should be able to lead themselves to restaurateur level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-ells/when-our-folks-focus-on-exactly-what-is-needed-to-succeed-in-the/) [Steve Ells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-ells/) > [I'm very much looking forward to relentlessly focusing on ensuring an excellent guest experience, removing unnecessary complexity from our operations, championing innovation, and pursuing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-ells/i-m-very-much-looking-forward-to-relentlessly-focusing-on-ensuring-an/) [Steve Ells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-ells/) > [When our employees walk in in the morning, they see food. They have to cook. At the restaurants, we chop cilantro, onions, and limes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-ells/when-our-employees-walk-in-in-the-morning-they-see-food-they-have-to/) [Steve Ells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-ells/) > [We want to show all of our customers that the industry standards that we had been employing before - which are considered great standards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-ells/we-want-to-show-all-of-our-customers-that-the-industry-standards-that/) [Steve Ells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-ells/) > [The earliest recollection I have of being in the kitchen and cooking was in the third grade, and we lived in Germany. And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-ells/the-earliest-recollection-i-have-of-being-in-the-kitchen-and-cooking/) [Steve Ells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-ells/) > [We aspire to make artisanal tortillas on an industrial scale.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-ells/we-aspire-to-make-artisanal-tortillas-on-an-industrial-scale/) [Steve Ells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-ells/) > [We have a terrific team, and our managers are terrific managers, but we have made it too complicated for them and too complicated in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-ells/we-have-a-terrific-team-and-our-managers-are-terrific-managers-but-we/) [Steve Ells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-ells/) > [If food is processed - like canned or frozen - you can reduce the risks of pathogens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-ells/if-food-is-processed-like-canned-or-frozen-you-can-reduce-the-risks/) [Steve Ells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-ells/) [Explore all 70 Steve Ells quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-ells/) ## More Dna quotes > [At the deepest level, all living things that have ever been looked at have the same DNA code. And many of the same genes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/at-the-deepest-level-all-living-things-that-have-ever-been-looked-at/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“Would a DNA test for love take a sample from the heart or the mind?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-cavanagh/would-a-dna-test-for-love-take-a-sample-from-the-heart-or-the-mind/) [Dean Cavanagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-cavanagh/) > [There are certain things that make restaurants work and a certain kind of DNA that people who excel in restaurants need. But it's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-bastianich/there-are-certain-things-that-make-restaurants-work-and-a-certain/) [Joe Bastianich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-bastianich/) > [One glance and I knew exactly who and what he was. The classic alpha male, the kind who had spurred evolution forward about five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/one-glance-and-i-knew-exactly-who-and-what-he-was-the-classic-alpha/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [An important finding is that by determining the genome sequences of an entire family, one can identify many DNA sequencing errors and thus greatly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leroy-hood/an-important-finding-is-that-by-determining-the-genome-sequences-of/) [Leroy Hood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leroy-hood/) > [Music is in my DNA!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rihanna/music-is-in-my-dna/) [Rihanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rihanna/) > [The immigrant experience of all of us is what makes us Americans, because we value in our DNA liberty and opportunity above all else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/the-immigrant-experience-of-all-of-us-is-what-makes-us-americans/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [When I get really down, I remember that we all share 99.99 per cent of our DNA with Beyonce. And suddenly, the world doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-tiffany/when-i-get-really-down-i-remember-that-we-all-share-99-99-per-cent-of/) [John Tiffany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-tiffany/) > [The way we think may be completely different, but you and I are an ancient, archetypal couple, the original man and woman. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banana-yoshimoto/the-way-we-think-may-be-completely-different-but-you-and-i-are-an/) [Banana Yoshimoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banana-yoshimoto/) > [Retirement is just not in my DNA.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-moreno/retirement-is-just-not-in-my-dna/) [Rita Moreno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-moreno/) > [Nuclear DNA encodes all the proteins and enzymes that make you you, basically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hendrik-poinar/nuclear-dna-encodes-all-the-proteins-and-enzymes-that-make-you-you/) [Hendrik Poinar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hendrik-poinar/) > [If you really want to be a good archaeologist, you have to understand ancient DNA; you have to understand chemical analysis to figure out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-parcak/if-you-really-want-to-be-a-good-archaeologist-you-have-to-understand/) [Sarah Parcak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-parcak/) > [The no-subscription fee was so much in our DNA from the original 'Guild Wars': that we would get a smaller market but willing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-grubb/the-no-subscription-fee-was-so-much-in-our-dna-from-the-original/) [Jeff Grubb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-grubb/) > [“So while Pauling struggled with his model, Watson and Crick turned theirs inside out, so the negative phosphorus ions wouldn’t touch. This gave them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-kean/so-while-pauling-struggled-with-his-model-watson-and-crick-turned/) [Sam Kean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-kean/) > [While love is common, true love is rare, and I believe that few people are fortunate enough to experience it. The roads of regular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-buss/while-love-is-common-true-love-is-rare-and-i-believe-that-few-people/) [David Buss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-buss/) [Browse all 749 Dna quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dna/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I certainly could've made a lot more money buying cheap ingredients, and people might not have been able to tell the difference. That was never a part of the calculus. 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