There's bad news for the burrito lover: Chipotle warned in its latest annual report that climate change might lead to guacamole being put on the chopping block at Chipotle stores.
According to Huffington Post, the chain is blaming climate change for guacamole potentially being left out of its burritos and bowls. If guacamole isn't removed from the chain, prices will likely rise.
It was the weather-related portion of Chipotle's Securities and Exchange Commission that caught the attention of Think Progress:
"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. Any increase in the prices of the ingredients most critical to our menu, such as chicken, beef, cheese, avocados, beans, rice, tomatoes and pork, would adversely affect our operating results. Alternatively, 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."
The Huffington Post reported that such a move would be a massive disappointment to some of the chain's customers. To make guacamole, Chipotle uses about 97,000 pounds of avocados every day, equal to about 35.4 million pounds a year.
The Denver-based chain experienced a similar issue in 2011 with higher avocado prices, but the company never stopped serving guacamole. Chipotle is also shifting towards organic ingredients, trying to use farmed items grown within 350 miles of each restaurant.
The Huffington Post reported that Chipotle spokesperson Chris Arnold is urging his customers not to worry about the "impending guacamole disaster."
"The sky is not falling," he wrote. "We are required to disclose issues that could present risks to our business like supply constraints or higher food costs -- and we are very thorough in making those disclosures."
