Gran problemas... Chipotle has been in the news a lot lately, and not because they're makin' bank on delicious burritos, but because many of those burritos have made many people very sick.
Essentially, people have been avoiding Chipotle like a rotten avocado since the chain was found to be the cause of multiple cases of E. coli, norovirus, and salmonella. No bueno.
In response to the food safety crisis, Chipotle has announced that they would be closing all chains on February 8th to conduct chain-wide staff meetings concerning food safety.
The staff meetings are in response to the serious lack of food safety that caused several illnesses nationwide.
Trouble began for Chipotle back in August of 2015 After eating at the chain, 64 people in Minnesota contracted Salmonella and nearly 100 people came down with norovirus in southern California.
In October and November of 2015, 53 people across nine states were struck by E. coli, including at least one person in New York.
In December, about 140 students attending Boston College were infected with norovirus after eating at the chain, while another five cases of E. coli were discovered in three states.
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Some of the victims of the food-borne illnesses are suing the chain.
Financially, the company is droppin' faster than us after three shots of tequila. They're projecting an 8% drop in sales for the fourth quarter, and these reports will be provided on February 2nd.
Their stock prices have already decreased by more than a third of over the last three months alone. Unfortunately, customer confidence in the food safety of the chain is still pretty low.
flipperwhatthe #chipotle shutting down in February? I was a 'Moes >> Chipotle' kinda guy anyways. Had to post this tho lol
CEO Steve Ellis is hopeful that the recent changes in food safety will be enough to bring customers back for some chips and guac. "We know that Chipotle is as safe as it's ever been before," he said on Wednesday.
Spokesman for the chain, Chris Arnold, pointed out that there hasn't been a further case of E. coli in two months, even though they have been serving a million (really, really brave or merely lacking any instinct of self-preservation in our opinion) customers a day "without incident."
Whatever the case, the chain will halt their burrito lines for a few hours on February 8th to discuss the safety of their customers.
For now though, if you're looking to make your own burritos, or need to make any other last minute food decisions, FreshDirect just launched their new app, FoodKick, which will deliver groceries on the same day, within an hour. Check out the app here.
Check out This Amazing New App That Delivers Food & Booze in an Hour.
[via CNN Money] [Feature Image Courtesy Instagram]