Plenty to digest.

• Author: Taylor, Mike
• Position: EDITOR'S NOTE - Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. - Editorial - Brief article

For so long, it seemed Chipotle Mexican Grill could do no wrong. The Denver-based chain was at the forefront of the sustainability movement, championing the humane treatment of animals, emphasizing transparency in ail its processes and, by the way, offering the most satisfying, fastest lunch $7 could buy. Chipotie was one of Wall Street's most spectacular performers, skyrocketing from $22 at its IPO in January 2006 to a high of $755--more than a 3,000 percent gain--in barely 10 years.

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Then came reports of sickened customers at a number of locations late last year, causing Chipotle's sales and stock price to plummet, showing how fragile even the best-performing company can be, particularly when it involves food.

In this issues's cover story, writer Eric Peterson examines how Chipotie is managing its comeback on two fronts: instituting food-safety protocols, and restoring consumer confidence that until a few months ago bordered on reverence.

Also in this issue and in the realm of food, Lisa Ryckman...