Every Chipotle Will Close on February 8 for Food Safety Meeting

Chipotle stock is down more than a third since the outbreaks.

Since August, Chipotle restaurants have had outbreaks of E. coli, norovirus and salmonella that affected hundreds of customers.

Fearing more than a little stomach bloat from chowing down on a huge burrito, some Chipotle fans have steered clear of fast-casual chain in the wake of multiple food-borne illness outbreaks.

As Chipotle Mexican Grill tries to recover from a series of contaminations that have caused some customers and investors to flee, it said it would shut down all of its stores for several hours February 8 to hold food safety meetings with employees.

Chipotle said the meeting would provide an opportunity to thank employees, discuss changes and answer questions.

In an apology letter that ran in 61 newspapers December 16, Chipotle founder and Co-CEO Steve Ells discussed changes to the chain’s food safety procedures. Last week, the company announced that its business was suffering more than it had anticipated.

The move comes amid a marketing campaign beginning next month that aims to win back customers who have stopped coming to the chain in light of the recent outbreaks, the Journal reported.

Then in December, more than 100 students at Boston College fell ill after eating at a Chipotle, leading the company to close another restaurant. In the fall, Chipotle closed 43 restaurants in Washington state and OR after authorities linked an E. coli outbreak to six restaurants in the region. Chipotle is also the subject of a criminal investigation examining whether there was any wrongdoing in how the company chose to handle its food safety problems.

At an investment conference in Florida, Chipotle executives said Wednesday the Denver company is taking measures to reduce the risk of another food scare to “near zero”. “We did a really comprehensive review of food safety practices from farm to restaurants”.