Chipotle Subpoenaed In Virginia Norovirus Outbreak

The ast few years have not been kind to the Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurant chain.

From 10,000 employees accusing it of wage theft late last year to multiple food contamination outbreaks and hackers stealing customer information, Chipotle has been hit hard.

The latest blow to the burrito chain has been a supoena sent to its corporate offices following the recent norovirus outbreak in one of its Virginia locations. As this ups the ante for the federal criminal investigation into its food safety, some may wonder whether or not Chipotle will close its doors and/or declare bankruptcy in the near future.

In Sterling, Va., more than 135 people became sick after eating at Chipotle. The restaurant chain claimed in a regulatory filing that the reason for the outbreak was due to a sick employee coming into work and thereby violating the company’s policy.

Starting in 2015, Chipotle came under federal investigation for the many virus occurrences happening around the country. In early 2016, Chipotle got a grand jury subpoena after a norovirus outbreak in Simi Valley, Calif., in which 234 people became ill after eating at a restaurant.

With these subpoenas active, investigators are looking all the way back to 2013. The future of Chipotle does not look bright, and it’s likely the food chain will need to do some serious restructuring moving forward.