Chipotle founder apologizes for norovirus outbreak in full-page Boston Globe ad
“The fact that anyone has become ill eating at Chipotle is completely unacceptable to me and I am deeply sorry.’’
Chipotle founder Steve Ells took out a full-page advertisement in The Boston Globe on Wednesday to apologize for the recent norovirus outbreak that sickened about 140 people who ate at the company’s Cleveland Circle location.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to apologize on behalf of all of us at Chipotle, and to thank our loyal customers who have stood by us through this difficult time,’’ Ells wrote.
The outbreak of norovirus, which causes stomach cramping, diarrhea, and vomiting, came on the heels of a series of E. coli contaminations in Chipotles in nine states. The Inspection Services Department reported three critical health violations at the Cleveland Circle Chipotle, including that an employee had come in to work sick.
“From the beginning, all of our food safety programs have met or exceeded industry standards. But recent incidents, an E. coli outbreak that sickened 52 people and a norovirus outbreak that sickened approximately 140 people at a single Chipotle restaurant in Boston, have shown us that we need to do better, much better,’’ he wrote. “The fact that anyone has become ill eating at Chipotle is completely unacceptable to me and I am deeply sorry.’’
The Chipotle apology in The Boston Globe.
Ells wrote that Chipotle reviewed its food safety processes and are implementing changes “throughout our supply chain’’ to test for contaminants. In addition, Chipotle plans to introduce new sanitation procedures in restaurants and create more food safety training.
The bare-bones ad, written as an open letter from Ells, appears on page A-11 of Wednesday’s Globe.
“In the end, it may not be possible for anyone to completely eliminate all risk with regard to food (or from any environment where people congregate), but we are confident that we can achieve near zero risk,’’ he wrote.
Ells also apologized for the outbreak last week in an interview on The Today Show. Chipotle officials have said the outbreaks are likely to hurt the sales forecast of the company, which has positioned itself as a healthy alternative to fast food.
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