Chipotle E. coli outbreak (2015)
Chipotle Mexican Grill closed 43 restaurants in the Pacific Northwest after an E. coli outbreak sickened 55 people. The chain's reputation for fresh ingredients took a major hit.
Chipotle shut stores, deep-cleaned, and overhauled food safety protocols. Sales dropped sharply.
The outbreak forced Chipotle to centralize food prep and tighten supplier standards, a lasting shift in its operations.
Like Chipotle, a trusted food provider — here a hospital — faced a food safety failure that forced closure and remediation. The case shows how one inspection failure can trigger systemic changes.
