Chipotle CEO steps down after health scares and falling sales

Chipotle's CEO is stepping down
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Chipotle CEO Steve Ells is stepping down amid food safety scandals, low sales, and, presumably, charging a premium for guacamole.

Ells announced his resignation Wednesday, Bloomberg reported. He'll remain as head of Chipotle's board and focus on the chain's menu and ingredient sourcing.

It's clear something at Chipotle needed to change. The fast-casual Mexican grill has struggled to regain customers after an E. coli outbreak in 2015. And many said Ells, a chef turned CEO, didn't have the managerial chops to repair the company.

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Ells doesn't have a replacement, but he is suggesting some menu changes that might win back customers. After all, nothing makes you forget a bad day at the office like a frozen margarita.

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Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.