SKEWEDNews/aNewDomain – Forty-three Seattle and Portland Chipotle restaurants were shuttered this week due to an E-coli outbreak that started mid-October. No one has died, but 23 people have become sick.
Chipotle has prided itself on food safety and tried to reassure the public at a press conference on Tuesday.
“We want to assure the public that the E-coli strain was locally sourced.” said co-Chief Executive Officer Steve Ells. “The bacteria was treated humanely during the processing and distribution. We take the health and safety of everything we produce very seriously and E-coli is no exception.”
The press conference was true to the restaurants’ style. Reporters stood in a single fast-moving line and could only ask a question when they got to the front. They were then pressured into getting something more with their question.
When I got to the front I asked why is the burrito $6.25 but guacamole is $3 extra? Is that some special guacamole?
“Please let’s keep this discussion to the deadly bacteria and not our point of sale upselling pricing initiatives,” said Ellis.
Chipotle plans to open 4,000 additional restaurants in 2015/16 and shutter about 200 for bacterial poisoning.
For aNewDomain and SKEWEDNews, I’m Frank Visa.
All images courtesy: WikiCommons
