Chipotle Mexican Grill

The problem

In 2015, Chipotle had several separate outbreaks in one year: Salmonella in Minnesota, norovirus in Southern California and Boston, and an E. coli outbreak that came to light in late October. Each one made the news, and customers stayed away.

What they did

The company changed how its food was prepared and checked. On 8 February 2016 it closed all of its 1,900+ US restaurants until 3 pm for a company-wide meeting. Staff were retrained on food safety procedures and the planned changes were explained.

What changed

The cost shows in Chipotle’s own filings. Same-store sales fell 14.6% in the fourth quarter of 2015, including a 30% drop in December. In January 2016 they were down more than 36%. Across all of 2016 they fell 20.4%, and net income dropped by about 95%.

What you can learn

• Hygiene is a sales issue, not only a compliance one. A single bad incident, a viral video or an FSSAI notice can cost more than years of careful practice.
• Growth makes gaps bigger. Each new outlet or new cook is another place where a step can be skipped. Write the steps down before you expand.
• Audit before something goes wrong. Inspect your own kitchen to an inspector’s standard: cold chain, cross-contamination, handwashing and pest control.

Our restaurant audit checks hygiene alongside food cost and operations. Any gaps it finds become SOPs and training.