Chipotle has been undergoing a bit of a public relations nightmare these last few months. After an E. coli outbreak caused them to shut down a large portion of their burrito restaurants, they’ve been trying to find their footing. They’re not out of the woods yet, however: after a sick employee had to stay home from work, Chipotle ordered a closing and complete cleaning of the restaurant.
According to Reuters, price of Chipotle shares fell as much as 18 percent since October, the height of their recent E. coli fiasco. Critics remain unsure of whether the company will be able to regain their once prestigous position.
It seems, however, that they might be on the right track. After an employee of a Boston suburb was forced to stay home due to an illness, Chipotle ordered the restaurant be shut down and cleaned completely.
Critics and fans have commented that this can be taken as an indication that the company is on the right track. Between their new, health conscious stance and their recent marketing campaign, it seems that Chipotle is working double time to put itself back in the good graces of burrito fans.
Chipotle’s new marketing appears very much like damage control. After the E. coli scandal, the burrito chain began offering patrons free food via email, along with coupons for additional discounts.
Though the company has handled this illness situation in the most appropriate manner possible, critics still believe they will be negatively affected.
“The publicity around this news announcement will be another data-point that may affect consumer,” CRT Capital analyst Lynne Collier said in a note to clients.