Chipotle Restaurant Near Penn St. Closes After Workers Quit

A Chipotle restaurant near Pennsylvania State University closed after workers quit, citing “borderline sweatshop conditions.”

A sign in front of the restaurant, which was posted on Twitter, blamed the walkout on Chipotle’s pursuit of profit over people. While the sign said almost all of the management and crew resigned, the Denver-based company said that it was a minority of the staff.

“Our Penn State restaurant was closed when a few employees quit, locking out a majority of others who are enthusiastic to return to work,” Chris Arnold, a spokesman for Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc., said in an e-mail. “We expect the restaurant to reopen shortly.”

Fast-food chains in the U.S. have been facing pressure to raise wages and offer better benefits amid nationwide strikes and protests. Chipotle Co-Chief Executive Officer Steve Ells has said that the starting wage at the restaurant is $8.50 to $9.50 an hour, compared with the national minimum wage of $7.25.

Chipotle fired hundreds of employees after an immigration probe into its workforce began in 2010 in Minnesota. In 2012, the company said federal prosecutors were investigating possible criminal securities-law violations and that regulators subpoenaed the company regarding work authorizations.