Chipotle to Reopen Northwest Restaurants
November 10 2015 - 9:00AM
Business Wire
All test results negative for E. Coli; no ongoing threat
Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) will reopen all 43
restaurants in the Seattle and Portland, Ore. markets that the
company voluntarily closed. The restaurants are opening in the
coming days with a fresh supply of all new ingredients.
Health officials have concluded that there is no ongoing risk
from this incident. Chipotle has taken important steps to make
certain that their food is as safe as it can be, including:
- Conducting additional deep cleaning and
sanitization in all its restaurants nationwide.
- Replacing all ingredients in the closed restaurants.
- Confirming that none of its employees
in these restaurants had E. coli. Note: No Chipotle employees have
had E. coli stemming from this incident.
- Working with health officials to
improve food handling procedures.
- Testing fresh produce, raw meat, and
dairy items (cheese and sour cream) prior to restocking
restaurants.
- Going above and beyond required
testing, and enhancing nationwide testing of produce and fresh
meat.
- Testing food, restaurant surfaces, and
equipment in its restaurants (to date, Chipotle has received nearly
900 test results, all of which showed no E. coli).
- Implementing additional safety
procedures, and audits, in all of its 2,000 restaurants to ensure
that robust food safety standards are in place.
Since this issue began, Chipotle has taken a number of
additional steps to help health officials investigate this
incident. Those measures included:
- Immediately closing 43 restaurants in
Oregon and Washington out of an abundance of caution, although the
incident was limited to 11 restaurants.
- Conducting independent testing in its
restaurants and distribution center in addition to testing
conducted by health department and Food and Drug Administration
officials, all of which showed no E. coli.
- Actively assisting health authorities
during all phases of the investigation.
- Retaining two preeminent food safety
scientists to help the company assess and improve upon its already
high standards for food safety.
Details surrounding the investigation include:
- The most recent reported date that a
meal was served that may be linked with this incident is October
24. Incubation period for E. coli is typically three to four days
after exposure, but may be as short as one day or as long as 10
days, according to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
- Eleven Chipotle restaurants, including
six restaurants in Oregon and five in Washington have been linked
to this incident by the health departments. Out of an abundance of
caution, Chipotle voluntarily closed 43 restaurants in Oregon and
Washington.
- No Chipotle locations outside of Oregon
and Washington have been connected to this issue in any way.
- No cause has been established between
this issue and any ingredient. Both Chipotle and health officials
have been conducting food and environmental testing in Chipotle
restaurants and distribution centers, but tests have not confirmed
a link to any ingredient.
- No Chipotle employees are among the
confirmed cases.
“The safety of our customers and integrity of our food supply
has always been our highest priority,” said Steve Ells, chairman
and co-CEO of Chipotle. “If there are any opportunities for us to
do better in any facet of our sourcing or food handling – from the
farms to our restaurants – we will find them. We are sorry to those
affected by this situation, and it is our greatest priority to
ensure that we go above and beyond to make certain that we find any
opportunity to do better in any area of food safety.”
Additional information about this incident is available online
at Chipotle.com/update.
ABOUT CHIPOTLE
Steve Ells, founder, chairman and co-CEO, started Chipotle with
the idea that food served fast did not have to be a typical fast
food experience. Today, Chipotle continues to offer a focused menu
of burritos, tacos, burrito bowls (a burrito without the tortilla)
and salads made from fresh, high-quality raw ingredients, prepared
using classic cooking methods and served in a distinctive
atmosphere. Through our vision of Food With Integrity, Chipotle is
seeking better food from using ingredients that are not only fresh,
but that—where possible—are sustainably grown and raised
responsibly with respect for the animals, the land, and the farmers
who produce the food. In order to achieve this vision, we focus on
building a special people culture that is centered on creating
teams of top performers empowered to achieve high standards. This
people culture not only leads to a better dining experience for our
customers, it also allows us to develop future leaders from within.
Chipotle opened with a single restaurant in 1993 and operates more
than 1,900 restaurants, including 17 Chipotle restaurants outside
the US, 11 ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen restaurants, and is an
investor in an entity that owns and operates three Pizzeria Locale
restaurants. For more information, visit Chipotle.com.
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ChipotleChris Arnold, 303-222-5912chris.arnold@chipotle.com
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