Profits at Chipotle are way down—as are customers. But now that it’s been declared E. coli free and instituted new procedures, the burrito company is launching its biggest ad campaign ever.
If you’ve noticed shorter lines at Chipotle following several pathogen outbreaks that sickened some 350 people, it’s not your imagination. Sales at the company’s restaurants plummeted by 15% in the fourth quarter and overall revenue dropped 7%, the company reported in its earnings today. Chipotle CEO Steve Ells called it the “most challenging period” in the chain’s history.
