Chipotle has taken a major wallop of bad press thanks to last month’s nasty spell of of E. Coli, norovirus and salmonella outbreaks, but the beleaguered chain is hoping to win some goodwill back with a Super Bowl Sunday discount.
Ad Age reports that the day before Chipotle closes all its locations for a company-wide safety meeting on February 8, they’ll be looking to sell customers burritos in bulk with a notable discount. Chipotle will be offering a $50 discount on the first 1,500 catering or Burritos by the Box purchases for 20 or more for February 7. (There’s also the promise of a “limited edition” gift from Tabasco if that helps tip the scales.) Essentially, the company is banking on customers making Chipotle the catering star of their Super Bowl party, a proposal that requires the public to show their confidence in a company that’s had dwindling sales in the wake of their health scare nightmare.
The one-two punch of Deal + Safety Meeting is something that could help Chipotle’s image, but one rival chain is gunning to make a splash during February 8’s big (temporary) shutdown. Freshii has declared that they’ll be offering a 50 percent discount on selected items as a way to “look after [Chipotle’s] customers while Chipotle pauses to recalibrate.” The press release attached to this announcement states that Freshii is a “big fan” of Chipotle and wanted to “help American consumers through these dark hours.” Odds are, Chipotle isn’t exactly jazzed about this alleged assist. To be fair, Freshii “challenged” McDonald’s to co-brand a Freshii outlet with them in the name of healthy eating last year, so this approach to interacting with their neighbors isn’t all that new.
Will you be gorging on bulk burritos during next month’s Super/Puppy Bowl Sunday or are you still skeptical about Chipotle’s food safety status? Weigh in below.
(via Eater)
