Behind the Counter: Inside Chipotle
Dozens of would-be Chipotle customers left North Texas locations empty handed around lunchtimeMonday, as the popular burrito chain hit the pause button to focus on food safety.
The local consumers were unaware that Denver-based Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc., a magnet for millennials, opted to by-pass sales between the normal opening time of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., to focus on employee training. The move comes after at least three food-borne illness outbreaks sickened dozens of customers primarily on the East and West coasts, prompting a lawsuit.
Many long-time customers approved of the move, even if it meant having to search elsewhere for lunchMonday.
It shows that theyre putting customers before profit, said Jorge Amadeo Morales, a 22-year-old from Pleasant Grove who had hoped to dine at the Chipotle in the West EndMonday. They dont want another case to happen.
As Morales and companion Blanca de la Garza popped next door to a pizza place for lunch, a steady stream of the Chipotle faithful filed into the lobby outside the shuttered restaurant. Nearly all insisted on yanking on the locked restaurant door, even after seeing another potential diner try in vain.
Some of the hungry said even before the training session, they felt safe eating at a Texas Chipotle because the food safety issues did not surface here.
Two E. coli outbreaks sickened at least 60 customers in 14 states, but not Texas. Chipotle has apologized and announced changes to it says will make it an industry leader in food safety.
The company also disclosed that it had been served with a grand jury subpoena in a federal grand jury investigation in California.
The criminal probe stems from a norovirus outbreak last summer at a restaurant in California, where more than 200 workers and customers were sickened. A Chipotle restaurant in Boston was shuttered for weeks in December after a norovirus outbreak there sickened more than 140 students from nearby Boston College.
The company also acknowledged that food safety issues have taken a bite out of sales.
We used to use them for catering, said Isaac Feldhaus, 33, who works for an IT recruiter located within walking distance of the West End Chipotle.
His co-worker. Julien Jeantet, 40, was one of the few who showed upMondaywho said he has cut back.
I dont want to risk being that sick, Jeantet said, noting that hes suffered from food poisoning before. Its a bit concerning.
The increased focusing on training makes you feel a little better, he said.
Bloomberg News contributed to this report.
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Here"s what Chipotle employees were told
Chipotle employees gathered in movie theaters and hotel conference rooms around the country to watch a presentation by executives about the companys food safety procedures. The meeting on Monday came as Chipotle kicks off a push to rally workers and win back customers after being hit by a series of food scares.
DONT WORK WHILE SICK
Chipotle noted that an illness can spread quickly and widely in restaurants, and urged workers to stay home if theyre experiencing symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. The company reminded employees it offers three paid sick days a year.
It also noted procedures for when workers get sick on site.
When anyone vomits in the back of the house or the front line, this is a red event, which means we close the restaurant immediately, said Gretchen Selfridge, a restaurant support officer.
WASH, WASH, WASH THOSE HANDS
The company noted handwashing helps remove the risk of cross contamination. As such, it noted that employees must wash their hands at the top of each hour, as well at times listed on a handwashing poster.
Handwashing should last for at least 20 seconds, the company said, and be followed with an alcohol-based sanitizer. The two should always be done in combination.
KEEP IT SPOTLESS
Monty Moran, co-CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc., urged employees to ensure restaurants and bathrooms are spotless, since people associate cleanliness with food safety. He said it was more important than ever for the company to ensure restaurants are super clean.
MARINATING MEAT
Steak and chicken are to be marinated after 8 p.m., after all other ingredients have been prepped and put away. The company outlined the steps for mixing the chicken and marinade, such as smelling inside the bag to check for freshness, and washing and sanitizing hands before putting on gloves to mix the meat.
BLANCH AWAY
Lemons, onions, avocados and other produce that are chopped in the restaurants and havent been pre-washed need to be blanched for five seconds to kill germs.
Selfridge noted that the blanching should be exactly 5 seconds not three, and not 10. Anything less than 5 seconds wont kill microbes, and anything more would begin to cook the produce, she said.
The Associated Press
Source: http://www.dallasnews.com/business/restaurants-hotels/20160208-todays-the-day-why-your-local-chipotle-isnt-open-for-lunch-today.ece