Chipotle CEO Offers Apology After New Outbreak In Boston

A CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill issued an apology this week after another outbreak was linked to food served at the restaurant chain.

At the end of October, as previously reported by the Inquisitr, the Chipotle chain was forced to temporarily close nearly 50 stores throughout several states because of an E. coli outbreak linked to their food. At that time, the closing of those specific Chipotle restaurants was completely voluntary. It was an act they were hoping would prevent future issues.

“After being notified by health department officials in the Seattle and Portland areas that they were investigating approximately 20 cases of E. coli, including people who ate at six of our restaurants in those areas, we immediately closed all of our restaurants in the area out of an abundance of caution, even though the vast majority of these restaurants have no reported problems,” Chris Arnold, a spokesman for Chipotle issued as a form of apology.

The Chipotle spokesman continued by adding that they were “working with health department officials to determine the cause of this issue.” He then added that Chipotle wanted to offer their sympathy to those affected by the outbreak.

Unfortunately, since then, there have been other outbreaks linked to the Chipotle chain. Most recently in Boston.

A norovirus outbreak affected roughly 120 students attending Boston College after they ate at a local Chipotle restaurant. That Chipotle location was cited for three critical violations and was voluntarily closed by the Chipotle Mexican Grill company, until it can be sanitized and employees tested for the virus.

Norovirus, according to WebMD, is often thought of as a form of food poisoning and is highly contagious.

“Noroviruses are a group of viruses that cause inflammation of the stomach and large intestine lining (gastroenteritis); they are the leading cause of gastroenteritis in the U.S … Noroviruses are sometimes called food poisoning, because they can be transmitted through food that’s been contaminated with the virus … People become infected with noroviruses when they eat food or drink liquids that have been contaminated … or if you touch an object or surface that has been infected with the virus and then touch your nose, mouth, or eyes.”

Chipotle is marketed as a healthy alternative to other fast food brands, but customers are beginning to believe that’s not quite true. The previous apology by the Chipotle spokesman did nothing to convince them otherwise.

After the recent outbreak, however, a CEO of Chipotle has taken a much more direct approach to issuing an apology for the issues that have affected their customers.

Steven Ells, a CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill, issued a much more sincere apology to customers that fell ill in Boston, as reported in Today.

“This was a very unfortunate incident and I’m deeply sorry that this happened, but the procedures we’re putting in place today are so above industry norms that [Chipotle is] going to be the safest place to eat. It’s a really tough time. I have to say I’m sorry for the people that got sick. They’re having a tough time. I feel terrible about that, and we’re doing a lot to rectify this and make sure it doesn’t happen again. With the norovirus, we have heard that this is the extent of it, but it’s a disease that is very easily passed and so it spreads very, very quickly from person to person. When we re-open, the [Boston Chipotle] will be completely sanitized, and every single employee will have been tested and assured that they do not have norovirus.”

Would you accept the apology issued by the Chipotle CEO?

[ Photo by AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File ]