Hurt by a string of food-borne illnesses at its Mexican restaurants, Chipotle reportedly plans to temporarily close all of its locations on February 8 to meet with employees about food safety.
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Chipotle will close all of its restaurants February 8 – to hold staff meetings about food safety. Food safety issues began in August when 64 customers in Minnesota were infected with Salmonella.
Has anyone alerted Cyn Santana about this crisis?
The break comes after Chiptole has been left reeling by an E. Coli outbreak that forced the company to shut down dozens of stores.
The outbreaks caused significant financial damage to the company as well, with a 30 percent drop in same-store sales in December, according to a company memo.
Chipotle’s stock has plunged in the meantime, and many customers are taking their business elsewhere.
“We have also designed many improvements within our restaurants to ensure our food is as safe as possible”.
Among other things, executives said they are waiting for federal health officials to call an end to an E. coli outbreak that has sickened more than 50 people in nine states after first being linked to Chipotle restaurants in the Pacific Northwest on October 31. Chipotle also says the company will thank employees for their work in recent weeks.
Founder and CEO Steve Ells announced that the burrito chain plans to double the free food it’s giving away in the coming year. That sense of freshly prepared ingredients has been one of Chipotle’s attractions as it has sought to distinguish itself from traditional fast-food chains.
Ells noted the company’s dedication to food quality in the past, and added that he was confident the company would win back customers and emerge as a stronger company. At least 140 people, almost all Boston College students, fell ill with norovirus in December after eating at a Chipotle near campus.
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Arnold told CNN Money said there hasn’t been an E. coli case in two months.
