Chipotle closed every one of its U.S. restaurants during lunch on Monday for a company-wide food safety meeting.
The meeting, set to take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. local time, was reportedly broadcast live from the company’s Denver headquarters to more than 50,000 employees at hundreds of
locations nationwide, Business Insider reported.
Chipotle saw declining sales after two outbreaks of E. coli sickened more than 50 people in 14 states, the website said.
Co-CEO Monty Moran said executives in the meeting would “describe in detail to our whole team all of the steps that we have taken to make our food safer before it ever arrives at the restaurants as well as to highlight and explain the reasons behind some of the new procedures that have already been implemented in our restaurants."
The company launched a new
“farm-to-fork” food safety program in January, CNN noted. It involves paid sick leave, DNA-based testing of ingredients, and some changes in food preparation.
On Feb. 1, the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the E. coli outbreak appeared to be over, while the cause remains unknown.
Chipotle offered free burritos to customers whose lunch plans were
scrapped by Monday’s closing, USA Today reported. Competitors, including Freshii, Moe's Southwest Grill, and On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina, also offered promotions to try and lure customers away.
Twitter users commented on the Chipotle closing:
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