Lifestyle

Austin Testing Chipotle Grill’s Margarita Recipe Amid New Food Safety Claims

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Tony Maples Photography

 

Exciting news for Central Texas as Austin is the first city outside of New York to get a taste of two new margaritas that Chipotle is testing on their menu. Since mid-December, Austin Chipotle sites have featured a couple of frosty new drinks on the menu: a frozen classic margarita made with Sauza tequila and a frozen virgin strawberry margarita. Chipotle followers are hopeful that the margarita recipe that Chipotle settles on is better-received than their universally panned queso attempt, earlier in 2017.

Chipotle Might Have ‘Bigger Fish to Fry’

Chipotle margarita

Photo: Flickr/Clifton Johnston

But, it turns out that Chipotle currently has bigger concerns than perfecting their margarita mix. CNBC reports that shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill fell more than three percent in December after reports surfaced that the fast-casual chain’s food safety woes are still not behind it.

According to CNBC, Public health officials in Los Angeles are investigating a possible foodborne illness outbreak at a local Chipotle restaurant. The news was first reported by Business Insider. A number of customers self-reported symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea and nausea to the website iwaspoisoned.com after eating at a Chipotle on West Pico Boulevard in LA. This website allows patrons to anonymously report incidents in which they believe they have gotten food poisoning at a restaurant. However, as Chipotle officials were quick to point out, flu season is in full swing all over the country, so there’s a chance that the customer’s illnesses were not related to the restaurant.

A Rough Couple of Years for the Chain

Chipotle

Photo: Facebook/chipotle

Even if Chipotle is not to blame for these incidences, the report once again puts the company’s food safety policies under scrutiny. It has been two years since a string of food safety incidents first battered sales and scared away diners. While the chain has been able to battle back and return to profitability, its successes have been overshadowed by more recent incidents.

However, if you’ve got a strong stomach (and a stronger liver) the Tex-Mex chain wants to hear your thoughts on their latest drink offerings. If you’re near an Austin Chipotle and you try out their new margaritas, be sure to let them know what you think about the frozen concoction. Who better than Texans to help advise a margarita launch?