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   From: tyler@facts.org   
      
   ANEW YORK (AP) — Chipotle is still struggling to bring back   
   customers to its restaurants after a food safety scare last year.   
      
   The burrito chain said Tuesday that sales fell 21.9 percent at   
   established restaurants during the third quarter, worse than the   
   18.3 percent drop Wall Street analysts expected, according to   
   FactSet. It's the fourth straight quarter of sales declines for   
   the company after an E. coli outbreak last year sickened some   
   customers.   
      
   Chipotle has given out millions of free burritos, launched a   
   loyalty program and released food safety ads to try and win back   
   customers. But the company is still hurting from the outbreak.   
   Chipotle, which has more than 2,100 restaurants, said its profit   
   plummeted 95 percent in the quarter.   
      
   Shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. fell 2.4 percent after the   
   market closed Tuesday.   
      
   To try to boost sales, Chipotle is cooking up new menu items and   
   upgrading its digital ordering platform. Earlier this month, it   
   started selling chorizo, a spicy pork sausage, at restaurants   
   nationwide. And it announced Tuesday that it is testing two   
   dessert items and plans to add one to its menu in the future —   
   but didn't say what the treats would be. It also hopes that an   
   updated site will lead to more digital orders, which now make up   
   only 6 percent of sales, the company said.   
      
   Still, Chipotle said pricier avocados may keep its costs high.   
   The company said a shortage is causing avocado prices to nearly   
   triple from $30 a case to $80 a case.   
      
   Overall, Chipotle reported net income of $7.8 million, or 27   
   cents per share, in the three months ending Sept. 30, compared   
   with $144.9 million, or $4.59 per share, in the same quarter a   
   year ago. Adjusted earnings were 79 cents per share, below the   
   $1.96 per share analysts expected, according to FactSet.   
      
   Revenue fell 15 percent to $1.04 billion, below the $1.09   
   billion analysts expected.   
      
   Chipotle said that it also plans to stop investing it its   
   Southeast Asian-inspired chain ShopHouse. The food at that   
   chain, which was started five years ago and has 15 restaurants,   
   wasn't able to attract a big following, Chipotle said. The   
   company said it is seeking "strategic alternatives" for   
   ShopHouse. Instead, it plans to bet on pizza and burgers for   
   growth. The company is an investor in Pizzeria Locale, a fast-   
   cooking pizza chain with seven locations. Earlier this year, it   
   applied for a trademark for "Better Burger."   
      
   Shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. fell $8.83 to $396.84 in   
   after-hours trading Tuesday. Its stock is down about 40 percent   
   for the year.   
      
   ______   
      
   This story has been corrected to show that it is Chipotle's   
   fourth straight quarter of sales declines.   
      
   http://www.usnews.com/news/business/articles/2016-10-   
   25/chipotles-sales-fall-again-as-it-tries-to-win-back-customers   
       
      
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