Ohio Chipotle Restaurant Closed After 47 Fall Ill

Chipotle is good food, in my opinion. I love going there and getting a big, chicken burrito where they can barely pinch the tortilla closed because there's so much meat and beans and stuff in there, then taking it back to my seat and devouring it alongside a side of chips and guacamole until I have to lean back in my chair to avoid falling over forwards. Well, WLWT.com is reporting that 47 people may be falling forward for a different reason in Kent, Ohio after falling ill following a visit to the restaurant. The people complained of severe vomiting, diarrhea and nausea.

Oddly enough, several of the patrons had donated blood and received a coupon to eat there for free.

Comments

[Joe]

Hello,

I saw your blog entry, and since I'm a Chipotle employee, I wanted to respond. What happened in Kent is believed by the local health department to be a norovirus (which is a communicable illness that is spread very easily from person to person). We took a number of voluntary steps to ensure the well-being of our customers and our employees, including the temporary closing and complete sanitization of our restaurant. Additionally, Chipotle has established a claims program and process for the reimbursement of related medical expenses. Since then, our Kent restaurant has remained open with the full support of the local health department. A follow up inspection conducted by the health department there found that our restaurant met or exceeded all health department requirements. However, most definitely, we will continue to assist the health department as it completes its investigation.

Sincerely,

Joe Stupp
Chipotle