Chipotle E. coli Outbreak

Chipotle cravings in the Pacific Northwest were unable to be satisfied due to a recent E. coli outbreak. Customers in Washington and Oregon reported illness after their meals at the restaurant. With this outbreak comes an opportunity for Chipotle to show its commitment to food safety and quality for its customers. So far, the damage control for its reputation after this occurrence has been focused primarily on the safety concerns for consumers, but the company is placing PR as a priority as well.

State health officials in Washington and Oregon reported 22 cases of customers with E.coli bacteria. The source has been linked to six Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants. Fourteen people have been hospitalized and this prompted the Denver-based chain to suspend operations at dozens of locations. A smart move on Chipotle’s part, the company chose to be proactive and update the media immediately after making the decision to suspend operations. Chipotle managers also informed state health officials that they would voluntarily close all restaurants in the affected areas until further notice in an effort to prevent further harm to its customers.

According to company spokesman Chris Arnold, 43 locations in Oregon and Washington have been closed temporarily: “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.” Although the closings are causing losses for the company, its concern for the wellbeing of consumers is larger, showing its commitment to quality and safety.

Chipotle Mexican Grill is working to prevent any further problems while keeping its consumers updated on the situation on its website and social media platforms. Consumers looking for information and reassurance that the food they are purchasing is safe to eat are happy to see the frequent updates and the overall sentiment on social media is positive and encouraging as the company takes the necessary steps to isolate the issue and fix it. The responsibility exhibited in the decision to close stores and the transparency the company has upheld is proof that damage control is vital if a company wants to come out on top after a reputation damaging crisis.