Chipotle Offers Free Burritos To Win Back Customers' Trust
SOUTHFIELD (CBS Detroit) - If an e.coli outbreak or two doesn't scare you — there could be a free burrito in your future.
In a give-us-another-shot deal making the rounds on social media, the now-struggling fast casual food chain Chipotle Mexican Grill is offering a certificate for a free burrito.
To get it, just text RAINCHECK to 888-222. The text seemed to work Monday afternoon. It was not immediately clear how long the offer would last.
There will be a little bit of a wait, though.
All 2,000 or so Chipotle restaurants nationwide were set to open at 3 p.m. instead of the typical 11 a.m. on Monday so 50,000-plus employees to discuss tightened food safety measures, get some fresh training, and discuss the chain's recent health scare.
A message at the free burrito link reads: "If we messed up your lunch plans today, just follow the steps and we'll good you up."
Meeting over. All restaurants will re-open at 3pm today. For detailed info on our focus on food safety, go here: https://t.co/PJwIlnaMx9
— Chipotle (@ChipotleTweets) February 8, 2016
[CDC Says Chipotle-Linked E. Coli Outbreak Appears Over]
This latest comes after the company disclosed last month that it's been subpoenaed by federal prosecutors and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as part of a criminal investigation.
The restaurant's sales took a nosedive after word of e.coli outbreaks and several cases of norovirus shook the company's bottom line in 2015 and early this year — leading to much shorter lines at the once wildly-popular lunch spot.
Denver-based Chipotle has more than a dozen locations across metro Detroit. So far there have been no illnesses associated with Chipotle restaurants in Michigan.