Chipotle E. Coli Outbreak Case Study

Imagine if somebody wanted to go to a popular restaurant chain or franchise. The person goes to the restaurant and sees that it’s closed on a Saturday afternoon. The person is immediately confused as to why this restaurant would close in the most unlikely time and event. That’s how many people in Washington and Colorado reacted when popular restaurant Chipotle temporarily closed 43 restaurants late last month. The reason: an E.coli outbreak. But if that wasn’t enough, the E.coli outbreak is the third foodborne illness outbreak that Chipotle has faced this year. Many people praise Chipotle for its quality food and convenient service. But 3 different foodborne illness outbreaks from August to November of this year are putting the company in a

Those who are not concerned say that Chipotle is generally fresh and has better quality food than many other fast food restaurants. They also believe that the chances of getting food poisoning at a restaurant are slim .

Nevertheless, Chipotle was not able to avoid criticism. Earlier this month, a group known as the Center for Consumer Freedom went on the New York Post. There, the group posted an ad that mocked Chipotle by saying, “You can't spell Chipotle without E. coli.” Of course, the victims of the illnesses were not pleased with Chipotle. One person from Washington even filed a lawsuit after getting sick from E.coli .

Although Chipotle does not seem to be in serious trouble, it is taking these recent outbreaks very seriously. Steve Ells always believed in quality food, and Chipotle works hard to bring the freshest ingredients. During the next couple of months, sales for the company may decrease slightly. However, now and during the future, Chipotle will look for ways to prevent similar crises from happening again. This could mean strengthening food and safety codes at all restaurants. In short, Chipotle is determined to do whatever it can to make sure that no food poison enters its “food with