Yesterday, we had a minor meltdown when Chipotle warned it might eventually stop serving guacamole, blaming climate change for rising avocado prices. Today, we have better news to report: That's not entirely accurate. The warning was written in the company's annual report as one of several possible "risk factors" it faces. Others include food poisoning, labor costs, and competition — meaning the report basically lists everything that threatens Chipotle's bottom line as required by SEC regulations.
In a statement given to Business Insider, Chipotle clarified it won't stop serving guacamole anytime soon:
Increasing weather volatility or other long-term changes in global weather patterns, including any changes associated with global climate change, could have a significant impact on the price or availability of some of our ingredients. In the event of cost increases with respect to one or more of our raw ingredients we may choose to temporarily suspend serving menu items, such as guacamole or one or more of our salsas, rather than paying the increased cost for the ingredients.
Whew.