The Billerica Chipotle that voluntarily closed Tuesday when several employees reported they were sick will reopen on Thursday. “They did not report to the restaurant”, Sandra Giroux, chairperson of the Billerica Board of Health, said.
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Chipotle has been reeling from a food-safety crisis since early November, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it was investigating an E. coli outbreak linked to the chain’s restaurants.
The state Department of Public Health, which was notified of the incident on Tuesday, confirmed that as of Wednesday there were no known ill customers.
Chipotle spokesman Chris Arnold said the company closed the restaurant after four employees called in sick.
The latest report of a store closure comes as Chipotle has been trying to lure back diners with coupons for a free burrito and other food.
At least one of the employees in Billerica, Massachusetts was diagnosed with norovirus, the highly contagious stomach bug that leads to intestinal pain, diarrhea, vomiting and nausea. “The remaining two workers are suspected of having the virus”.
The company said in February it plans to roll out a $50 million campaign that would not address food-safety issues, despite the bad PR the company has suffered of late.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health was made aware of the illnesses, the statement said. Arnold said the eatery had earned a ideal score on its most recent health inspection a week ago and that the restaurant had been sanitised since the company learned about its sick employees.
The company is also now providing employees with paid sick days in order to encourage them to stay home when they get sick.
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Chipotle shares were down 1.9 percent to $514.57 at 1:47 p.m.in NY on Wednesday, paring an earlier loss of as much as 6.1 percent.
