Chipotle has been in and out of the news since July, and not because they are thriving. Starting in July, Chipotle locations all over the country have had multiple outbreaks of e. coli, two outbreaks of norovirus, and one outbreak of salmonella.

Students at Dana Hall mainly go to Boloco and Qdoba when they want a burrito, and even more so since Chipotle’s recent mishaps, but Chipotle is still a nearby option. The closest Chipotles are in Newton, Needham, Framingham, and Worcester; they are all about 15-20 minutes away.

In December at the Chipotle nearest to Boston College, 136 people were infected with norovirus. According to Web MD, noroviruses are a group of viruses that cause inflammation of the stomach and large intestine lining, causing vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramps. People contract Noroviruses by eating raw or undercooked food or drink that have been contaminated. It is also very contagious.

Eva Willard-Bauer ’17 says, “With my knowledge of these outbreaks I would prefer to eat somewhere else.” As of the end of December, Chipotle shares had decreased 3% since their outbreaks started to get more publicity.

Lauren Merullo ’19 says, “Hmm well I’m definitely a little bit more skeptical about choosing to eat there and haven’t been back to one yet. On the other hand, I bet now they are very sanitary.”

Many lawsuits have been filed against Chipotle due to these outbreaks, but Chipotle has not commented on them.

Chipotle has attempted to get back their customers with specials, deals, and discounts. Although rumored, Chipotle is not closing down for good. On February 8, all Chipotle restaurants closed their doors to talk about how to win customers back, and their solution was free burritos. Chipotle had a limited time offer that involved giving out free burritos. Chipotle wants their reputation back, and has been working on ways to gain back the trust of their customers.