Mexican food chain Chipotle found itself dealing with a public relations nightmare yesterday when word spread on social media that employees at a Brooklyn restaurant greeted a group of police officers with a “hands up, don’t shoot” gesture and refused them service.
.@ChipotleTweets Are you folks going to address this story about your employees insulting cops at a store in Brooklyn?
— Neal Boortz (@Talkmaster) December 28, 2014
Snopes.com looked into the alleged incident and, after speaking with the company’s communications director, determined that the narrative making the rounds was “mostly false.”
Did a @ChipotleTweets restaurant really refuse to serve #NYPD officers? (No.)http://t.co/CL57ZctTmY pic.twitter.com/Lk0EMSL3Y5
— snopes.com (@snopes) December 29, 2014
According to Chipotle, security camera footage shows that it was a single employee who put up her hands “in what appears to have been a spontaneous, unplanned gesture of protest directed at the police. The group of officers then left without ordering food.” The communications director added that the company has apologized to the officers involved and “taken appropriate actions with regard to the employee involved, and reiterated to our operations teams the importance of making all of our customers feel welcome in our restaurants. No exceptions.”
What’s not certain is the definition of “appropriate actions.”
So @ChipotleTweets, your statement confirms at least one employee did "hands up, don't shoot" to NYPD; has that person been fired???
— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) December 29, 2014
.@ChipotleTweets isn't responsible for every idiotic thing an employee does, but they are for not firing the guy who refused #NYPD service.
— Brodigan Strong Style (@brodigan) December 29, 2014
@WayneDupreeShow the employee(s) should be fired. no question. I'll take my biz elsewhere otherwise…@ChipotleTweets
— Racheal #LuckeyAce (@rfitzger71) December 29, 2014
I promise you I won’t eat their food anymore until this is resolved and if it’s never resolved I am done
— Wayne Dupree ?? (@WayneDupreeShow) December 29, 2014
It appears any corporate-wide boycott faces an uphill battle (in part depending on your taste in burritos).
https://twitter.com/BecketAdams/status/549669595561209856
https://twitter.com/BecketAdams/status/549670105794101249
I'm pretty sure this was a local thing and not corporate policy. https://t.co/IYMVUswyEz @PruPaine @ChipotleTweets
— RBe (@RBPundit) December 29, 2014
@allanbourdius One employee does something stupid… and it's politicized. Because, MOAR OUTRAGE! *yawn* @ChipotleTweets
— Michelle Ray (@GaltsGirl) December 28, 2014
Jon Gabriel, 2014’s Best Conservative Columnist, explains his ongoing Chipotle boycott.
I've boycotted Chipotle for years, but only because I prefer good burritos.
— jon gabriel (@exjon) December 29, 2014
https://twitter.com/BayAreaFan2/status/549665898630361088
Thou shalt not place rice in a burrito. #11thCommandment
— jon gabriel (@exjon) December 29, 2014
@exjon Nor lettuce. (That's called a wrap.)
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) December 29, 2014
If you want a real burrito, I'll take you here. http://t.co/GP8vHiAfoW
— jon gabriel (@exjon) December 29, 2014
https://twitter.com/WrightBrunoS/status/549668921255952384
Carolina's > Chipotle http://t.co/q0IUEM3g52
— jon gabriel (@exjon) December 29, 2014
@exjon Jalepeños and sawdust wrapped in a tortilla > Chipotle.
— Kevin Creighton (@ExurbanKevin) December 29, 2014
Damn. I want a burrito.
— jon gabriel (@exjon) December 29, 2014
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