NEW YORK (AP) – Chipotle is giving away free burritos to combat the eeriness of empty stores and to convince people that its food is safe. The Denver chain made its first big push with freebies in February when it closed its stores nationwide so employees could participate in a food safety meeting after an E. Coli outbreak and other incidents sent sales plunging. The company said 5.3 million people tried to download the mobile offer for a free entree. Chief creative and development officer Mark Crumpacker calls it Chipotle’s “first test to see how much people really wanted to come back.” Speaking at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Consumer and Retail Tech Conference, Crumpacker says Chipotle plans to mail 21 million coupons to people for a free entree. And moving into the summer, he says Chipotle might shift to “Buy One, Get One” free offers, or do more targeted mobile offers for free meals in regions of the country where a recovery in sales is lagging.
