4 ms·

Why is it so hard for a fast food chain to avoid cross-contamination vs. other restaurants? Is it because they don't train workers properly?

ac29 9y ago
Other restaurants have food-borne illness problems occasionally too, but when you have thousands of locations it makes national news.
- dx034 9y ago
  But they should be isolated incidences unless you have a systematic problem. One chef treating meat incorrectly can cause issues in one restaurant but not across the country. What Chipotle experienced was more than what you'd expect to happen in well-run restaurants that prepare everything themselves.
awj 9y ago
That might be part of it. Plenty of other restaurants need (at the least) experienced cooks who probably would have gotten bounced out if they couldn't keep food safety more or less in order. A lot of it, I would guess, is simple scale. There's like 800 more Chipotle restaurants than Chili's, and I'd be damn sure the volume of meals coming out of each one is skewed far towards Chipotle as well.
- joezydeco 9y ago
  Your average Chili's kitchen is more automated than a Chipotle. http://www.middleby.com/midmarsh/PressReleases/Brinker-9_12_13.pdf http://www.middleby.com/midmarsh/PressReleases/Brinker-9_12_...
barsonme 9y ago
I mean, if my experiences are anything, it's because people don't care enough. At fat food joints you've got a bunch of high school and college kids who want to get off and party or get off and finish their mounting homework. It's not willful, just part of being 17/18/19 at an "unimportant" job. We had some adult-adults who worked there as well, and it was a night and day difference. Again, it's not willful or malicious, just laziness.
- squid_ca 9y ago
  > At fat food joints I don't know if that was intentional or not, but I like it! :)
- mrguyorama 9y ago
  Also, when you are only paid $6 after taxes for every hour you work, why should you care? The company doesn't value you enough to care.
  - barsonme 9y ago
    Eh, I agree and disagree. It's difficult to care when you're not paid a lot and other similar jobs are dime a dozen, but morally I can't say it's right. And, really, I have a difficult time believing 16/17/18/19 year olds are going to put in a lot of extra effort flipping burgers, even if they're paid $10 or $15 an hour. Kids are kids, I was one too.
    - mrguyorama 9y ago
      Right, but if the company wanted to focus on quality, then it's their fault for hiring kids or otherwise setting wages at a point where only kids can really afford to work there
      - barsonme 9y ago
        Total agreement on that point.

ac29 9y ago

Other restaurants have food-borne illness problems occasionally too, but when you have thousands of locations it makes national news.

dx034 9y ago
But they should be isolated incidences unless you have a systematic problem. One chef treating meat incorrectly can cause issues in one restaurant but not across the country. What Chipotle experienced was more than what you'd expect to happen in well-run restaurants that prepare everything themselves.

awj 9y ago

That might be part of it. Plenty of other restaurants need (at the least) experienced cooks who probably would have gotten bounced out if they couldn't keep food safety more or less in order. A lot of it, I would guess, is simple scale. There's like 800 more Chipotle restaurants than Chili's, and I'd be damn sure the volume of meals coming out of each one is skewed far towards Chipotle as well.

joezydeco 9y ago
Your average Chili's kitchen is more automated than a Chipotle. http://www.middleby.com/midmarsh/PressReleases/Brinker-9_12_13.pdf http://www.middleby.com/midmarsh/PressReleases/Brinker-9_12_...

barsonme 9y ago

I mean, if my experiences are anything, it's because people don't care enough. At fat food joints you've got a bunch of high school and college kids who want to get off and party or get off and finish their mounting homework. It's not willful, just part of being 17/18/19 at an "unimportant" job. We had some adult-adults who worked there as well, and it was a night and day difference. Again, it's not willful or malicious, just laziness.

squid_ca 9y ago
> At fat food joints I don't know if that was intentional or not, but I like it! :)
mrguyorama 9y ago
Also, when you are only paid $6 after taxes for every hour you work, why should you care? The company doesn't value you enough to care.
- barsonme 9y ago
  Eh, I agree and disagree. It's difficult to care when you're not paid a lot and other similar jobs are dime a dozen, but morally I can't say it's right. And, really, I have a difficult time believing 16/17/18/19 year olds are going to put in a lot of extra effort flipping burgers, even if they're paid $10 or $15 an hour. Kids are kids, I was one too.
  - mrguyorama 9y ago
    Right, but if the company wanted to focus on quality, then it's their fault for hiring kids or otherwise setting wages at a point where only kids can really afford to work there
    - barsonme 9y ago
      Total agreement on that point.