Chipotle and Wonder Navigate Food Safety Concerns Amid Crypto Push
Chipotle is investing in a new food safety risk management platform in partnership with Artificial Intelligence giant Palantir. The pilot comes amid a busy summer of food safety incidents driven largely by a nationwide cyclospora outbreak, which Chipotle was not implicated in.
The company said the food-safety platform is designed to provide a more consistent and centralized view of food safety risk across its restaurants. It brings key information together in one place, enabling teams to effectively identify trends, prioritize follow-up, and make proactive, data-informed decisions.
In other news, Wonder is laying off over 500 workers at its production plants in New Jersey. The company is shutting down two plants and consolidating into a single high-capacity facility that will prepare it for long-term growth.
Blackbird, a restaurant rewards company, made the case for cryptocurrency in restaurants before Congress this week. CEO Ben Leventhal testified that cryptocurrency can benefit small restaurants by lowering their payment processing fees.