Chipotle’s carnitas crunch ends

Carnitas are now available at most locations of Chipotle with the exception of Atlanta and Cleveland area restaurants and restaurants in North Carolina and South Carolina, the company said.

Chipotle had taken its pork product off the menu for some restaurants after the company “found inconsistencies between the supplier’s operations and Chipotle’s pork protocol”. As a result, the company was immediately unable to supply more than one-third of its restaurants with carnitas. Today’s announcement marks the winding down of a small nightmare for the chain. That’s enough that the company cited the carnitas shortage for denting growth in the second quarter, when same store sales increased 4.3%. Chipotle has replenished its supply of carnitas to the people, and lo, it is good. Chicken is by far the most popular topping, followed by steak. Carnitas account for about 6 to 7 percent of entree orders, according to the company. “We have always faced some challenge in getting the ingredients we use, but have a remarkable track record overcoming those hurdles”.

Chipotle requires that pigs raised by its suppliers must have access to the outdoors or deeply-bedded barns, must not be kept in gestation crates and must not be treated with antibiotics. “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. When faced with the choice between serving conventional pork in some of its restaurants or nothing at all, Chipotle chose not to serve Carnitas in hundreds of its restaurants rather than compromising its standards.