
Photos: People Won't Even Eat Chipotle for Free
Updates article from 5:35 p.m. ET to include photos of Chipotle restaurants at night.
Judging by Chipotle's (CMG) - Get Report latest sales, its once packed restaurants are nothing more than barren wastelands.
The better burrito joint reported on Tuesday evening its sales plunged 26.1% in February, compared to a 36.4% tumble in January. According to Chipotle, sales began to recover on Feb. 8 after it started to text digital coupons to customers in an attempt to regain their trust following several food safety incidents. But, following news of a fresh norovirus issue at another Boston restaurant which had to be closed on Mar. 8, sales quickly reversed course. Same-store sales in the second week of March declined 27.3%.
At an investor conference on Wednesday, Chipotle peeled away the onion further on its lackluster month of sales. It said only 67% of the coupons it sent out in early February for free food were redeemed by people. Pretty pitiful considering once popular Chipotle food cost nothing. Further, customer traffic appeared to die down as Chipotle wound concluded its coupon mailers. Execs left the door open for even more discounting in coming months to lure customers back.
With its sales spiraling out of control, yet execs remaining oddly upbeat in their presentation to investors, TheStreet hit several Chipotle locations in New York City during lunch and dinner to see what is really going on. One thing was made abundantly clear early on: Chipotle's restaurants could sure use some customers.
Lunch Hours
864 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
101 Fulton St #111, New York, NY 10038
100 Maiden Ln, New York, NY 10038
Dinner Hours
185 Montague St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
























