Carnitas Is Back at Chipotle; All Is Right with World

If you see people out in the streets popping champagne bottles, doing catwheels, and kissing sailors à la V-Day -- don't be alarmed. Carnitas is coming back to 90% of Chipotle locations, after a downright life-shattering hiatus on sales of the spicy pork at a third of Chipotle locations since January (you have probably seen those "Sorry, No Carnitas" signs polluting your neighborhood spot).

The shutdown on carnitas occurred after Chipotle stopped using one of its major pork suppliers over a lack of consistency with the company's high standards that require "...pigs are raised with access to the outdoors or deeply bedded barns, without the use of antibiotics, and with no gestation crates."

In a statement issued September 28th, Chipotle founder, chairman and co-CEO Steve Ells said “We simply will not compromise our high standards for animal welfare. Since making this decision, we have heard from thousands of our customers who have expressed support for our decision, and commended us for standing on principle. Now, we are excited to have Carnitas back in nearly all of our restaurants, and want to thank our customers for their patience while we worked to address this issue.”

The statement also outlined the plan to bring to bring back carnitas to all US-based restaurants with the exclusion of those in Cleveland and Atlanta (sorry Browns and Falcons fans), as well as those in South Carolina and North Carolina. According to the release, the chain "...has been able to replenish its pork supply working with existing suppliers and by adding a new partner, United Kingdom-based Karro Food."

Start practicing your "R" rolls now, kids, lest you embarrass yourself on your next burrito run.


Wil Fulton is a Staff Writer for Thrillist. He can't roll his R's unfortunately. Follow him @wilfulton

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