Dozens of Customers Report Feeling Sick After Eating at SoCal Chipotle

Ventura County health officials say at least 60 customers reported feeling sick after eating at a Chipotle restaurant in Simi Valley last week.

It's unclear what made the customers ill — test results were pending Monday.

Mike Byrne, food safety supervisor for the Ventura County Environmental Health Division, said the restaurant also sent home 17 employees for being sick, closed the business to clean it for a day and brought in new food before reopening.

Health officials inspected the restaurant at 1263 Simi Town Center Way on Monday.

NBC4 reviewed the restaurant's health inspection reports on the Environmental Health Division website. Violations posted Monday included:

• The premises and/or floors, walls, or ceiling are in an unsanitary condition.
• Equipment or utensils are not clean, fully operative and in good repair.
• Flying insects observed within the food facility.
• Food handlers employed at this facility do not possess a valid food handler card and/or records documenting that food employees possess a valid food handler card are not maintained by the food facility for review as required.
• The restroom is unclean or in disrepair.

NBC4 found the restaurant has repeated violations for some of the same issues dating back to January 2015.

Despite the findings, health officials said the Simi Valley Chipotle passed Monday's inspection and found no major violations.

In a statement to NBC4, Chipotle said: "The safety and well being of our customers is always our highest priority. When we were contacted by customers who reported feeling poorly after visiting our restaurant in Simi Valley, we notified health department officials, immediately began a review of the incident, and have taken all of the necessary steps to ensure that it is safe to eat there."

Customer Cindy Vazquez is holding on to her Chipotle receipt for about $16 worth of food she said made her and her sister sick.

"We were throwing up, going to the bathroom. We had really bad chills," said Vazquez, who visited the restuarant on the afternoon of Aug. 18.

"Just to see what happened to all of us, if there is something in the food or if something went wrong with handling the food," she added. "I just want to get the answer."