Scratch that burrito off your list of lunch possibilities today.
Chipotle, the fast-casual Mexican food chain, is closed until 3 p.m. for a companywide safety briefing after outbreaks of norovirus and E. coli sickened customers last year.
While you may have to wait for your daily guacamole fix, the company says customers can tap into the briefing through Twitter and Periscope starting at noon ET.
About 50,000 employees are expected to attend the meeting by gathering in areas such as hotel conference rooms and movie theaters to hear broadcast remarks from executives.
Employees and customers alike may finally get an explanation from Chipotle regarding how E. coli and norovirus outbreaks occurred at its restaurants last year. Executives promised to overhaul the company's food-safety standards and at an investor conference last month, Mark Crumpacker, chief creative and development officer, said people would get "a detailed story about what happened."
Chipotle has been in crisis mode for months since the illnesses were traced to its restaurants. Its sales and traffic plummeted in the fourth quarter and its stock price has tanked. Shares are down about 2.4% in late-morning trading Monday.
In October, people who had eaten at Chipotle started showing symptoms of E. coli, an outbreak that eventually affected more than 50 people in 11 states. An outbreak of a different strain of E. coli then affected five more people in December. Then at a Boston Chipotle in December, more than 120 people contracted norovirus.
A federal investigation into the E. coli outbreak was officially closed last week when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that it appears to be over. No new cases have been reported since Dec. 21. Investigators were unable to determine what food caused it. Meanwhile, Chipotle is still under a criminal investigation for a norovirus incident at a California store in August.
A major marketing campaign starts this month to win back customers who were scared away. But Chipotle has competition. Several other chains are taking advantage of the company's temporary store closures by offering discounts to lure away customers.
Freshii's more than 200 restaurants will offer certain Mexican items on its menu at half off Monday. Moe's Southwest Grill, which has about 600 locations, is rolling out an ad campaign touting itself as customers' "Rebound Burrito," and will offer a coupon to buy one, get one free on burritos. Casual-dining chain On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina is using Chipotle's meeting as an opportunity to launch to-go lunchboxes filled with a burrito or burrito bowl and will sell them for $5-$6 Monday only. They normally cost about $8.50 to $10.50.
