Chipotle tries to recover from outbreaks

The founder of the Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurant chain on Thursday apologized for the role his now-closed Brighton restaurant played in sickening scores of people, and he vowed that all of the company’s eateries will be the safest place to eat in the near future.

An outbreak of norovirus at a Chipotle location near Boston College has sickened 141 students, who complained of gastrointestinal issues after eating at the restaurant in the Cleveland Circle area last weekend.

Ells says he is deeply sorry that people got sick.

Shares of Chipotle closed up 5 per cent at US$575.43 (RM2,459.93).

In a statement issued Friday, Chipotle said they have “taken aggressive actions to implement industry-leading food safety and food handling practices in all of its restaurants and throughout its supply chain”. The extremely contagious virus is spread by contact with contaminated surfaces and by those who are sick.

Public Health officials said the South Lake Union restaurant had received red violations on three consecutive visits, including the inspection on Thursday.

The number of Chipotle victims in the nine-state outbreak is likely much higher than the current 52 counted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Marler said.

The outbreak could be beneficial, Burgess said, if it forces Chipotle to raise its health standards.

James Burgess, a professor in the School of Public Health at BU, said the outbreak sends an important message about the company.

Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. has lost 4.64% in the last five trading days and dropped 10.06% in the last 4 weeks.

In Seattle, an inspector found that food wasn’t being kept hot enough on a line that prepares takeout orders, said Chris Arnold, a spokesman for Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. “The outbreak is also a reminder that we need to ensure that resources are not diverted away from health departments, as they fulfill a critical job in keeping us all safe and healthy”. The apology will sound empty if one month from now, another E. coli or norovirus outbreak occurs, he added.

However, Ells was confident that, financially and image-wise, the company will recover. Ells promised that the company is “doing a lot to rectify” this situation, including completely sanitizing the restaurant and testing employees for illness.

In Chipotle’s annual report, it notes among risks that the concept may be more susceptible than its competitors to foodborne illness because of its use of fresh foods and real cooking techniques, as opposed to the cooked-then-frozen products and automated processes used widely throughout the quick-service world for decades.

“They’re trying to be local and serve food with integrity, but as you grow it becomes incredibly complex and hard and challenging”, said Darren Tristano, president of industry research firm Technomic.