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You don't have to eat at Chipotle, you know
By adamg on Wed, 01/29/2020 - 9:58am
Even in a cold northern town like ours, there are plenty of alternatives for your burrito fix rather than at a chain that was just fined $1.4 million for "an estimated 13,253 child labor violations and other state wage and hour law violations" at its 50 corporate-owned outlets in Massachusetts.
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Comments
I'd say, cut them some slack
Given the market conditions, it's tough to find enough employees. Plus places like this have a high turnover. It's not like they weren't paying people, they were allowing/making kids work shifts that were too long, too late or both. The important thing for me is that they still paid the kids for all the time they worked. (And I would add that having paid a fine of over a million dollars, they have paid their debt to society.)
No. No slack.
They want workers? They need to pay better. Period. And stop violating wage and hour laws, which makes for the sucky workplace that keeps them looking for more workers.
No slack, None. NADA.
Do you want norovirus or do you want coronavirus with your taco courtesy of bad management and shitty pay?
That's where "slack" gets us.
WTF Slack?
Labor laws are in place for a reason and particularly those applicable to folks under 18 (and pretty easy to monitor and be compliant with).
How about as part of being slack we reduce their minimum wage by a dollar cuz labor markets are tight and such... sorry but your proposal is absurd
Thats fair enough
but I have no doubt that hundreds of mom and pop restaurants and sub shops have the same problems with paying teens properly. Chipotle is just a bigger target.
Not exactly...
The Commonwealth sends out pretty specific labor posters/updates in great frequency...
How are those IPhones working
How are those IPhones working for you?
Since when
is Chipotle Mexican food?
Norovirus Express
Wasn't it a Chipotle manager near BC who demanded an employee come in while sick, and touched off an enormous norovirus outbreak?
Seems like they have learned nothing.
As someone who
Starting working around 13-14. Give me a break and take your faux outrage and shove it....
Kids worked to long/much. What are you afraid they wont join your political movement of "free stuff" if they somehow develop a strong work ethic.
Oh, we got us a tough guy here
Good for you that somebody was willing to break the law and give you a job and you're now a fine, upstanding, productive member of society (well, I assume).
But there's a reason we have child-labor laws.
Dude , once upon a time you
Dude , once upon a time you needed a work permit from the school dept. to work. Jobs that let you work without one were held on high, and passed down from family member to family member. America only works when America works.
"passed down from family member to family member"
That was part of the problem, though, isn't it?
You should have maybe mentioned the school approval first, but then, that's not what we're talking about with Chipotle.
child labor problems are mainly 2 things
1. Safety. Not just the child worker's safety but everyone's safety.
2. Opportunity-- that is why the school has to sign off on the permit. As the job market gets tighter, more teenagers have the opportunity to work. The kids prefer working to school and participate in violating the labor regulations. However, these children are denying themselves wider achievements that they could accomplish if they attend school. That actually hurts all of us.
Yeah!
Kids need to learn to shut up and be exploited by corrupt businesses like the rest of us!
Typical Trump-head reply: "My life sucks.."
So everyone else's should suck too." You should want people to do well, and not use your anger at being exploited to insist others are treated the same. (To, you know, show how tough you are.)
I started working when I was
I started working when I was 14 too! But somehow I grew up without becoming a gigantic asshole. I must have missed that part of the "strong work ethic" training.
You folks are always telling on yourselves
This screams "I'm triggered."
P.S. I started working at a grocery store at 14 to fund a new mountain bike. Didn't realize you wanted to work 48 hours a week at "13-14."
Well hopefully..
Over the years you were able to gain confidence in your voice to call out potential workplace abuses...
I already wish you worked in my office, although we don't have free stuff other than salt, pepper and am occasional sugar packet.
Well hey, I started working 5
Well hey, I started working 5 days a week at 12 years old, completely legally. And I think that that there is plenty of flexibility in the laws to allow kids to work at appropriate times without jeopardizing their education.
Are you afraid that if we educate our youth that they will realize that the GOP does nothing but lie and steal?
Work ethic
Those who talk most reverently about a "work ethic" are those whose ethic centers on deriving maximum benefit for themselves from other peoples' work.
Pussy Control
I started doing field work for cash when I was 12 - picked strawberries, raspberries, green beans, peapods, and raked filberts. Very hard work.
And I knew then that it wasn't going to be my life. I was not going to get trapped by it - I worked very hard, got good grades, etc. I got out by having the discipline and self control needed for getting an education, then supported myself and married and had kids only when I was ready to do so.
Perhaps working all those hours as a teen instead of doing school work/going to school has something to do with your critical thinking deficits and inability to discern facts from deplorable talking points? Or ignorance of the fact that excessive work at a young age can permanently damage you?
Does a strong work ethic
Does a strong work ethic include posting on the internet at 10:14 am when we should all be working?
.
Not everyone works 9-5.
I bet
you walked 20 miles to get to school every day. I bet you walked those 20 miles wearing worn out shoes and it snowed everyday.
And
it was uphill both ways.
Chipotle has made thousands of people sick
Chipotle has made literally thousands of people sick. Their food safety track record is abysmal. I don't understand why any informed person would still choose to eat there. "Norovirus? Ah, it's not that bad! This stuff is cheap, quick and 'healthier' than McDonalds!"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chipotle_Mexican_Grill#Food_safety
https://time.com/4143382/norovirus-confirmed-in-outbreak-chipotle-boston...
It's not cheaper, that's for sure
Unrelated, but Chipotle is expensive as fast food goes.
Given how often they are in the news for negative things, the money isn't going to the employees.
Norovirus is really contagious
Norovirus is really contagious (especially if you're handling food) so I'm willing to cut Chipotle some slack about that. There are various things restaurants can and should do to prevent things like that from happening, but if the one employee fails to wash their hands at the right time, a lot of people are going to get sick. But following child labor law on the other hand is something they have a lot more control over.
Either way, the one Chipotle that had the Norovirus incident happens to have an Amelia's Taqueria on the same block as them now, so they're probably the better option for a variety of reasons.
E. coli, campylobacter, C. prefrigens...
...salmonella, hepatitis. Pick your poison.
No, literally pick how you want to get food poisoning from Chipotle. See my first link; how many different outbreaks does it take?
Both Boloco and Qdoba are so
Both Boloco and Qdoba are so much better than Chipotle, with many more options and free guac to boot. Boloco's Elote Street Corn wrap is beyond addicting, and it's a local chain! (ie Boloco is short for Boston Local) Boloco is a company that refused bankruptcy as a way of getting out of obligations and pays among the highest wages in the industry.
I would also take Anna's over Chipotle 10 times out of 10, and some others like Viva Burrito and Boca Grande are pretty good too. Chipotle is more on par with a Taco Bell than a respectable burrito place.
My favorite is Felipe's in Harvard Square
... but out in the suburbs, it's hard to beat Taqueria Mexico, which has locations in Waltham and Framingham.
Felipe's--good food, but they are thieves
Almost every time I go to Felipe's, they overcharge me. They add on for things like cheese that I specifically say that I do not want (food allergy.) It's chaotic there, so they take advantage. If it happened only once in a while, I could let it go, but to me it is clearly systematic. I'll pay whatever I have agreed to, but stealing from customers as a matter of course really ticks me off.
The local places are great too
I LOVE that Boloco pays their people a living wage and that their workers seem to stay with the company for a long time. (And their food is good too.)
Part of the reason that I suggested the Chipotle has paid their dues is that the media (and yes that's you too Adam) , because of their past food safety issues, is always waiting to pounce on them. Other chains have problems and they get reported (or not) and it goes away quickly. It seems like "Latest Chipolte Crisis" has become something that the media just loves to trumpet.
Well yes, one issue can be
Well yes, one issue can be chalked up to mistake. The repeated issues that Chipotle has all over the country suggest that the problem is deeper than a lazy minimum wage employee at one store. There is something in the corporate culture that makes cutting corners on food safety worthwhile even if it makes people sick. The more often it happens, the more we SHOULD be focusing on the repeated problems.
Boca Grande is long gone
They were my favorite back when you had to choose between them and Anna's.
Sadly, not many Bolocos left. They are way better than the national chains or we're-too-cool-for-you Clover.
There is one location of Boca
There is one location of Boca still open on 1st St in Cambridge and it’s still my favorite.
Not long gone. Still two Boca
Not long gone. Still two Boca Grande locations, Coolidge Corner and East Cambridge.
Boca Grande
When did they close? I haven't been to one in a while, but their website still shows two locations in East Cambridge and Brookline.
Locations closing
Kenmore Square and Brighton Center are two that I know that closed. They had the best carnitas. Absolutely the best. There is nothing comparable.
Taco Loco in East Somerville Broadway/ Sullivan Sq
Or any of the other taquerias on this section of Broadway..
If you're on the Ctown
If you're on the Ctown Somerville line , why not a beer and a Roast Beast sandwich at the Mt Vernon, right at the bar, chop , chop , beaucoup fast ?
Sadly Boloco just retired my
Sadly Boloco just retired my favorite item on the menu (Bang Thai wrap) though you can still order the berry smoothie even though it's not on the board at some locations.
Villa Mexico
Villa Mexico on Water street makes the best black salsa. 1000x better than Chipotle. The burrios are enormous and delicious.
Tenoch
They have a little truck on the Greenway sometimes, and also stores in Medford, Davis Square, North End.
Wonderful family.
It is the favorite of a certain demographic
https://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/04/15/clinton-bypassed-centrist-taco...
That the best you can do?
She's not running for president this year.
Missing the point
The article is not about She. The point is that Chipolte is the favorite crap meal choice for a certain demographic. That is the crowd who will need to be convinced to change their dining options. Since Chick-fil-a is out maybe you can recommend other options? What national crap fast food provider is left approved?
The fact She was dog whistling her crowd by making a "surprise" visit to Chipolte is beside the point.
Oh, and don't be so sure She won't throw her hat in the ring when it is a brokered convention. She already has her people in key positions in the DNC to control the convention.
^^ Perfectly normal post
Does she pay rent for the amount of time she spends living in your head?
Let me guess
Let me guess: You also think Obama was a liberal elitist for asking for brown mustard on his cheeseburger.
Chick-fil-A is no longer out, because enough
customers objected to its support of anti-LBGTQ religious groups. The boycott worked: Chick-fil-A recently announced it would no longer donate to those groups.
What do you know: businesses need customers to make a profit, and supporting hate wasn't good for business. So dang libruls can now enjoy that decent-only-by-fast-food-standards chicken sandwich again.
(That Journal piece is hilarious: suggesting someone might shun Taco Bell for its customers' centrist politics, not because its food isn't fit to feed to dogs.)
I guess you'll always have Papa John's shitty bigot-pizza with which to flaunt your conservative credentials.
Not so fast...
I don't think Chik-fil-a's new charitable giving strategy is as cut-and-dried as it seems. They faced a lot of backlash from their core fans over their decision to stop donating to the Salvation Army and the FCA. They may not plan to provide funding this year, but they have since made a number of equivocations that left the door open. Plus, the company is family-owned and that family has a long history of making private donations to groups I don't want to support.
I would like to be a customer of Chik-fil-a. I don't really like KFC that much. And, even though I like their food, I have yet to visit a Popeyes that wasn't a grimy dump. Oh well.
LOL
This isn't Facebook. You don't have to make vague allusions to unnamed groups when making your dumb dogwhistles. You can come out and say it; it's not like anyone here could think any less of you than they already do.
OMG A TACO TRUCK ON EVERY
OMG A TACO TRUCK ON EVERY CORNER!!!!!11!!!1!!!
UpperCrust Pizza
I feel the same way about U.C. They were caught exploiting a Brazilian village some 13 years ago. Haven't given them a $ since
Independently owned Upper Crusts?
I understood that some, perhaps many, former Upper Crust locations are independently owned and operated after the original slimeballs were forced to divest them. But there is a non-trivial chance that I'm wrong so I would appreciate a confirmation or refutation by anyone that knows for sure.
Even if you support the exploitation of children like
some rightie dickheads here -- because that way they'll, um, grow up not to expect "free stuff" the way the rest of dang libruls do, I guess is the, er, "logic"? -- you should choose local restaurants over cookie-cutter national chain outlets whenever you can.
Local indies are the lifeblood of our dining scene, from fast food to fast-casual to fine dining. Don't let the rest of Boston look like the damned Seaport.
A few indie Mexican favorites, recognizing
that most folks eat casual Mexican when it’s convenient to them, and few have a restaurant critic’s obsessive willingness to travel for great tacos. Note that most of these are actually owned and cheffed by Mexican ex-pats, a relatively small Latino population in Boston. (Hint: if it has pupusas on the menu, it’s run by Salvadoran or Guatemalan immigrants doing some Mexican because it sells better. Not necessarily inferior and often good, just rarely among my favorites. Get their native dishes, like a plato montanero, instead):
-- Taqueria El Amigo, Waltham. The gold standard, albeit dumpy. Tacos de cabezas especiales, wow! Killer chili relleno, too.
-- Rincon Mexicano, Somerville. So glad they caught on enough to expand to an adjacent storefront with comfy tables.
-- La Victoria, Arlington. Great tacos and tortas (sandwiches)..
-- Tenoch, Medford and the North End, plus some trucks. Also fine tortas, and a better-than-average taco filling selection.
-- Taqueria Jalisco, Day Square, Eastie. The weekend hangover soups are amazing.
-- Angela’s Cafe, two locations in Eastie. Rare outpost of the cuisine of Puebla, fabulous moles and tingas.
-- Chilacates, a local mini-chain (three JP locations, one in the South End) with a Dominican ex-pat owner who gets it, and they make their own tortillas, a rarity.
-- Amuleto, Waltham. An uncommonly good (by Boston standards) table-service, fancy-ish Mexican. Also a full bar with a great selection of mezcals and tequilas
-- Miss Congeniality Award to The Painted Burro / Burro Bars, Davis Square, Washington Square Brookline, and the South End. Kinda Yankee-Mex and too loud, but with table service and solid bar programs, a respectable date-night choice in a crowded field of rather more mediocre options in the fancy, unadventurous tier.
Probably forgetting a couple of other worthies, but those are my top-of-mind. I’m not a burrito lover, so those don’t factor into my assessments.
Re: Painted Burro
Personally prefer that place as a brunch spot. Lunch/dinner menu doesn't do much for me when it comes to Mexican fare.
Yeah, fancy-ish Yankee Mex isn't exactly my jam, either, but
its Miss Congeneality inclusion is about representing a mediocre category about as well as is done locally. We got a flood of such places all at once about nine years ago (Lolita, Mija, the Burros, etc.), and none of them are amazing, but they have their uses. (I agree on brunch; the last couple of times I got by the South End Burro Bar were late Sunday mornings.)
I should add Lone Star Taco Bar in Allston and E Cambridge to my list. Great cocktails (way too rare in Allston) and beer, and very solid border-ish Mexican. I really love those Dallas spicy beef tacos in the crispy tortillas.
Thanks for the tip
I still haven't tried Lone Star in either location. I'm by no means a purist when it comes to Mexican food, and definitely not above crispy tortillas (I'll take a crispy corn shell any day of the week). But back to The Painted Burro, the tortas on their brunch menu are all very good, as are the Chilaquiles and even the Breakfast Burrito really hits the spot when you get that sort of itch. As much as I'll defend Anna's, I can't say the same for their breakfast burrito offerings.
That taco at Lone Star
called Dallas spicy beef has a fresh tortilla that is lightly pan-fried, so it's flexible but crisp; it's not like a Taco Bell rigid shell. I rarely visit without getting a couple of them.
My friends from Texas often sing the praises of real border food, its own unique gloss on traditional Mexican with a long history of stateside adaptation and innovation. Would be nice to see more of it here.