Chipotle CEO Apologizes and Vows to ‘Be Safest Place to Eat’

Chipotle CEO and founder Steve Ells apologized to the public for the illnesses that have been linked to Chipotle restaurants, and promised that the chain’s safety precautions are now above par.

“This was a very unfortunate incident and I’m deeply sorry that this happened, but the procedures we’re putting in place today are so above industry norms that we are going to be the safest place to eat,” Ells said in an interview on the Today Show.

Chipotle was first linked to an outbreak of E. coli in the Pacific Northwest, and most recently was deemed responsible for the illness of 120 Boston College students who ate a local Chipotle and became infected with norovirus. Chipotle closed the restaurant voluntarily and says the company is committed to becoming an industry leader for food safety.

In the interview, Ells said that if there was a silver lining to the incidents, it’s that the company has now looked very closely at all of its processes and every ingredient.

Reuters reports that shares for the company jumped over 5% after Ells’ apology.

[NBC News]