Chipotle’s doing everything they can to win back our love. And it’s not with free guacamole.
After various outbreaks from food-borne illnesses such as E. coli, salmonella and norovirus, on Feb 8, Chipotle Mexican Grill will close its chain of nearly 2,000 restaurants to host a nation-wide staff meeting.
“We plan on making sure the entire company is on board with the many changes we’ve brought about in the last few months,” customer service coordinator Greg Washburn said. “We’ll also be taking this time to thank our crew members in the restaurants for all the hard work and time they’ve been putting in.”
Many changes are already underway in local Chipotle restaurants. Employees now need to read and sign a company safety worker guideline and expectation sheet each shift, according to junior Devin Pierce, an employee at the Friendship Heights location. Employees wash hands hourly and must now also refill a sanitizer bucket used to sterilize tabletops and counters.
The media has scrutinized Chipotle for the timing of the closing. Announcing that a meeting will take place months after all the food scares can be perceived as lacking a sense of urgency to address the problem, a recent CNBC article reported.
Personal finance and international business teacher Demitra Marafatsos agrees. She has stopped eating there since the early E. coli cases and feels they are taking too long to correct their mistakes. They have also not remained transparent throughout these past months, she said.
“By the time they figure and revamp their food line, they might not have a business left,” Marafatsos said.
However, Chipotle strategically planned the meeting at this time, Washburn said.
“Feb. 8 was far enough out to plan and also far enough to where we’ll have the majority of our food safety changes already in place,” Washburn said. “Though we’re constantly evolving to be the best.
The meeting will also discuss the launching of their new advertising campaign to lure in lost customers.
“Their stock has not fared well through this,” junior Andrew Constable said. “But, I think that in the end, the public will respond pretty well to the steps they’re taking,”
Chipotle stocks have plummeted in light of the plethora of food scares; once worth almost $760 in August, one share of the company (CMG) now costs around $450.
“They need to work on this fast and put the word out,” Marafatsos said. “Maybe their solution is to just have a free Chipotle day.”
