The chain said Monday that it has restored its pork supply in 90% of its restaurants, and expects to be serving carnitas in all of its restaurants by the end of November.
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Overall, however, the impact is minimal compared to what it could have been if Chipotle had run into issues with its chicken or beef suppliers. “The decision to stop selling Carnitas in many of our restaurants was an easy one”, said Steve Ells, founder, chairman and co-CEO at Chipotle.
The restaurants that still don’t have pork are in the Cleveland and Atlanta areas, as well as in North Carolina and South Carolina, the company said. Since making this decision, we have heard from thousands of our customers who have expressed support for our decision, and commended us for standing on principle. Chipotle has been able to replenish its pork supply working with existing suppliers and by adding a new partner, United Kingdom-based Karro Food.
Chipotle reinforced its commitment to its ingredients standards by pulling carnitas from menus rather than substituting in pork that didn’t meet its requirements.
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The company says it does not allow its suppliers to use gestation crates or antibiotics, and the pigs must have access to the outdoors. “When our meat buyers and animal welfare team toured their farms, they were excited about the quality of the meat Karro is producing and the ways in which their farming practices emphasize what’s best for the animal above all else”, Chipotle writes on its website. “In the United States, around 95% of pigs are raised ‘conventionally.’ Raising pigs in this conventional system can be particularly brutal for the animals”. The concern is causing big companies like McDonald’s to demand that its suppliers use less antibiotics.
