Chipotle Mexican Grill has always done things differently from other restaurant chains. The founder, Steve Ells, wanted to set Chipotle apart by creating a customer-service-oriented atmosphere where customers could see their food being prepared with fresh ingredients. Chipotles food with integrity offerings use fresh food with ingredients grown naturally and sustainably from local farmers whenever possible.

Despite its desire to be socially responsible, Chipotle encountered challenges in food safety. An outbreak of E. coli was traced to a small number of Chipotle stores. The CEO closed 43 restaurants in two states to completely rid the stores of any possible contaminated products, clean and sanitize their entire kitchens, and retrain staff on proper food handling procedures. Chipotles managerial focus changed from career development back to day-to-day activities. Thanks to the companys strong ethical reputation and quick response, the company survived.

1. How does Chipotle attempt to be socially responsible?
2. What actions did Chipotle take to assure stakeholders it was taking the E. coli outbreak seriously?
3. Why do you think customers are willing to do business with Chipotle even after the E. coli outbreak?