On Monday, Chipotle Mexican Grill temporarily closed all of its stores in the U.S. for a special meeting between executives and its 50,000 workforce. Although the meeting largely focused on new food-handling guidelines, the restaurant-chain's bosses maintained that the employees played a huge role in the norovirus outbreak that sickened around 500 of its customers last year.
According to the Daily Mail, the meeting was held on various hotel conference rooms and theaters across the country. Video presentations featuring the executives of the chain were displayed through the venues' big screens.
One of the bosses that addressed the employees was Monty Moran, the co-CEO of the company. He told the staff members that if they're not feeling well, then they should immediately inform their managers or superiors about their condition.
Although Moran did not discuss the matter directly, it seems his statements were in reference to the allegations made in a federal class action lawsuit filed against the company earlier this year. In the suit, the plaintiffs claimed that before the norovirus broke out in the Simi Valley branch in California in August of 2015, a kitchen manager of the restaurant continued to handle food despite being sick.
During the meeting, employees were told to stay alert and always be on the lookout for the early symptoms of norovirus in their co-workers such as vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea. According to Gretchen Selfridge, the support officer for Chipotle, if anyone displays any of these signs while inside the restaurant, staff members must immediately close the establishment.
As for the other matters discussed during the meeting, executives noted that employees must adhere to the strict rules of handwashing and preparing ingredients especially vegetables. Based on previous reports that confirmed that the Salmonella outbreak which also plagued the restaurant chain last year was linked to tomatoes, the executives said that staff members are no longer allowed to chop these vegetables in the establishment's kitchen, CNBC reported.
The meeting held earlier this week lasted for an hour and caused a delay in the opening of certain branches. To make amends with inconvenienced customers, the chain gave away free burritos to those who sent special codes to the company via text messages.
