- Chipotle closed a restaurant in Powell, Ohio, on Monday following reports of customers getting sick after eating there, the company told Business Insider.
- "We take all claims of food safety very seriously and we are currently looking into a few reports of illness at our Powell, Ohio restaurant," Chipotle spokeswoman Laurie Schalow said.
- Chipotle said the restaurant would reopen on Tuesday, pending approval from the local health department.
Chipotle closed a restaurant in Ohio on Monday following reports of customers getting sick after eating there, the company told Business Insider.
"We take all claims of food safety very seriously and we are currently looking into a few reports of illness at our Powell, Ohio restaurant," Chipotle spokesowoman Laurie Schalow said. "We are not aware of any confirmed food borne illness cases, and we are cooperating with the local health department."
People reported symptoms such as vomiting, nausea, and fever to the website iwaspoisoned.com, which first alerted Business Insider to the issues at the Powell restaurant.
Three reports were made to the website on July 29 and July 30, indicating that at least nine customers fell sick after eating there. By Tuesday morning, the number of reports to the site grew to 105, citing 170 people sick, according to Patrick Quade, the founder of iwaspoisoned.com.
Schalow said Chipotle planned to reopen its Powell restaurant on Tuesday, pending approval from the local health department.
The health department confirmed to Business Insider that the restaurant is under investigation and said they could not discuss the matter further.
Records show local health officials inspected the Powell Chipotle on July 26, and found violations related to food not being held at proper temperatures.
Specifically, lettuce was not properly cooled and beans were not held at a warm enough temperature.
"A follow up will occur in roughly 3 weeks due to cooling of lettuce," inspection records stated.
Chipotle was forced to close a restaurant in Virginia for two days last year after customers who ate there contracted norovirus, an illness that causes vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, and other symptoms. More than 130 people reported getting sick after eating at the restaurant.
Norovirus is different from E. coli, the bacteria that led to a widespread outbreak at Chipotle restaurants in 14 states three years ago.
