Chipotle served with grand jury subpoena

[IDemo]

Source: Reuters

Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc said it was served with a grand jury subpoena in relation to a criminal investigation into a norovirus contamination at one of its restaurants in California in August.

Shares of the burrito chain, which is already reeling under an E. coli outbreak linked to its restaurants, fell nearly 3 percent to $435.72 in early trading, their lowest in more than two years.

Chipotle cut its estimate for same-store sales in the fourth quarter, citing another norovirus incident at a restaurant in Brighton, Massachusetts on Dec. 7. (1.usa.gov/1JtQlLV)

Chipotle estimated a 14.6 percent fall in fourth-quarter same-store sales, compared with the earlier estimate of a 8-11 percent drop, the first decline in the company's history.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-chipotle-mexican-ecoli-idUSKBN0UK1RF20160106

[leveymg]

1. Has McDonald's or Conagra ever been indicted for their role in poisoning America?

This seems disproportionate if not a screw job by Big Food.

[Sophiegirl]

2. Isn't Chipotle..

..a subsidiary of McDonalds?

[leveymg]

3. No. It was acquired for a while some years ago but then resold. It's the fastest growing

major brand, and it's killing most traditional burger and junk-food chains.

Wiki:

Founded by Steve Ells in 1993, Chipotle had 16 restaurants (all in Colorado) when McDonald's Corporation became a major investor in 1998. By the time McDonald's fully divested itself from Chipotle in 2006,[16] the chain had grown to over 500 locations. In late 2015, Chipotle expanded its mobile strategy through delivery partnerships with tech startups like Tapingo, a delivery service that targets college campuses.[17]

[Sophiegirl]

6. Ah...

Ok. Thought McDs was involved at some point.

[MADem]

20. I had lunch there today.

It was delicious!

[Dr Hobbitstein]

4. No, but they are "Big Food".

Multi-billion dollar chain of salt-laden, high calorie fast food with close to 2,000 locations. But hey, it's GMO-free, so it MUST be good for you. o.O

[leveymg]

5. I disagree about it being traditional fast food. The ingredients are pretty close to what

you would prepare at home, if you eat Burritos.

[Dr Hobbitstein]

8. I make burritos and tacos at home from scratch.

I use much better ingredients (IMHO) than they do. They taste the same as Moe's and Panchero's (which are still fast-food), and use the same quality ingredients.

[elleng]

9. Sorry to disagree,

but imo chipotle tastes much better than moe's. (I DO like Moe's guacamole!)

Only thing 'fast' is how quickly they place my/our requested ingredients on the salad/bowl/burrito, and theirs is surely faster than it would be for ME to make and put all the ingredients together.

[Dr Hobbitstein]

16. They are just as fast as Moes or Pancheros.

Nothing is cooked to order (minus qesodillas). It's fast food. Might be better than McD's (tasting), but it's no healthier. As for the difference in taste between them and Moe's? It's negligible IMHO. Way too much salt.

[roody]

27. Pancheros doesn't have corn tortillas.

[Dr Hobbitstein]

28. White corn flour.

Pressed in house. At least the one that was in my neighborhood did before the owner dumped the franchise and reopened under a new name with same products. Lasted a year

[Archae]

11. There is no "Big Food screw job."

Guess what? People screw up.
Sometimes criminally.

Just look at that peanut-processing factory down South.

Was that a "Big Food screw job?"

No.

[Dr Hobbitstein]

18. I would consider a multi billion dollar restaurant chain

To be PART of "big food". The only reason anyone here is donning foil is because of Chipotles marketing campaign against big scary GMOs. Woooooooo.

[Archae]

21. Bingo.

Chipotle is using "no GMO's" as a marketing gimmick, nothing more, nothing less.

[raindaddy]

12. You're exactly right...

As soon as Chipotle started comparing the quality of their ingrediants to the global fast food chains they started having problems...

Where were the feds and why didn't they step in when it was revealed that McDonalds was serving up pink slime or adding azodicarbonamide to their McRib. Azodicarbonamide is used to make yoga mats...

[bananas]

31. The FDA head was a VP of Monsanto - no conflict of interest there!

[raindaddy]

32. Didn't Chipotle they become GMO free?

I think you're on to something...,

[Cal Carpenter]

7. A criminal investigation?

Can anyone better versed in law speculate about that? It seems like a "criminal investigation" implies there was a deliberate action or at least willful negligence of some kind, no? Otherwise wouldn't they just get a regulatory fine for not following safety rules or something?

I dunno, just thinking aloud.

[elleng]

10. I had the same thought,

and I'm an attorney. The article didn't shed any light on the issue.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

19. They should bust Blue Bell of Brenham, Texas, also.

Blue Bell ice cream, which people in Texas love, was busted for ice cream and other products contaminated with Listeria, which is a really bad buggie. Not good. This has been going on for a while.

[herding cats]

24. It's actually an interesting case.

It appears the location in question had an outbreak which sickened more than 200 people, 18 of which were employees. There was also an issue with their not reporting the outbreak in a timely fashion the NY Post is reporting.

The California restaurant in question became aware of scores of sick employees and customers around Aug. 16 or 18, according to the inspection report, but it waited five days to inform the local health department, according to Beach.

In a notice of violation sent by the health agency weeks later, it took company executives to task for the delay in notifying the agency, saying Chipotle “needed to inform us in a more timely manner than they had.”

The best guess is that they're investigating what was known and when it was known. Which could in fact show willful negligence on their part.

“The FDA is probably asking for documents or emails that went back and forth between corporate headquarters in Denver and Simi Valley,” said Bill Marler, a foodborne illness lawyer, who is representing Chipotle customers who became ill last year during several outbreaks.

[Cal Carpenter]

25. Ah, thanks for the details

'Criminal investigation' just jumped out at me, but I haven't had time today to dig around to satisfy my curiosity, so I appreciate you taking the time to share!

[liberal N proud]

13. In other news, there is not longer a line at Chipotle

[840high]

14. The one in my town has been

closed for a while now.

[elleng]

15. There are still lines, at the several Chipotles I frequent.

[Rider3]

17. Good

This is what happens when you tell your employees that they must come in even if they're sick. Stupid f'ing company. If your employees are sick, then your customers will get sick. The math isn't difficult. Assholes.

[littlewolf]

22. is this corp. policy or some manager at a couple of stores?

IRT the E.coli was it traced to product coming in …
or practices at the store (i.e. hand washing)

[kentauros]

30. Either you have never worked in food service,

or the place you did work treated their employees fairly and didn't want them coming in when sick. In the few years I worked in kitchens and bakeries, the attitude from management was "If you're not dead or dying, you have to come in. And if you're dying, we want to see the medical paperwork so we know we're not the cause of your impending death."

I have worked when I was sick, and when I had injuries (burns, cuts, bruised toes from plates falling on them.) I was still expected to report to work, or to not bother coming to work again.

And I'm not talking about fast food, either. I've only ever worked for small, single shop businesses. No chains. They are all like that. Food service work is grueling labor for low pay. The people that do well have been in the business for decades, or they were the "star student" of cooking school, or they own their own business, preferably in some trendy specialty. Then they can afford to close shop when sick or injured. That never happens with chains, or most restaurants/bakeries.

[MissMillie]

23. one in Boston shut down for a few weeks due to Norvo virus

Apparently a sick employee infested the place.

Good reason for businesses to pay for sick time off.

[billhicks76]

26. Monsanto Sabatoge?

Payback for going GMO free?

[dinkytron]

29. Was that a black bean or pinto bean subpoena?