A newspaper ad that went viral in November might best sum up Chipotle’s year, one from which Colorado’s biggest fast-casual chain surely can’t wait to recover.
read the full-page ad in The New York Post that was paid for by an anti-Chipotle group.
After years of meteoric rise, Denver-based Chipotle Mexican Grill fell back to Earth in 2015 after a series of foodborne-illness outbreaks were linked to its cuisine.
In a matter of weeks, the chain’s “Food With Integrity” slogan changed from a rallying cry that distinguished it from other fast-food purveyors to an albatross.
Even before an in November, though, when the chain reported third-quarter profits below Wall Street expectations.
Since August, Chipotle’s stock has lost more than 30 percent of its value, according to Bloomberg. Company executives anticipated same-store sales to drop 8 percent to 11 percent in the last three months of the year. In November alone, .
To date, have been linked to Chipotle restaurants, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A cropped up in late December — just weeks after 120 after eating at a Chipotle location.
“The fact that anyone has become ill eating at Chipotle is completely unacceptable to me, and I am deeply sorry,” founder Steve Ells said in his own full-page ad Dec. 16 in newspapers across the country. “As a result, we are committed to becoming known as the leader in food safety, just as we are known for using the very best ingredients in a fast food setting.”
At the end of the year, officials announced , pulling back the curtain on its much-heralded supply chain.
Analysts, though, warned it could be a while before customers come back for a burrito.
Emilie Rusch: 303-954-2457, erusch@denverpost.com
