OT - chipotle and "local" produce in season.

You know how Chipotle says, on their website and on the menu boards in their stores, that they buy "certain produce locally when in season?"  This evening I ate dinner at Chipotle and I asked the woman ringing up my meal what produce they bought locally.  She seemed to have no idea what I was talking about.  I pointed out what the menu board says and she said she didn't know.  So I asked her who would know, and she called over the manager.

I asked him and he said he didn't know.  He said all their food comes from a big food supply company, from a distribution center more than 100 miles away.  He said maybe the distribution company buys some food locally but he doesn't know.

I find it pretty disturbing that they make a big deal of announcing that they use local produce when in season when they don't, at least not at the location in my town.  I wonder if they are telling the truth about their beef and dairy products being hormone free?

hmmm, that's interesting.

i know we use a very large distributor for our meals at work, but the produce is from local sources when possible. but none of my workers know that. i wonder if there is a chance he just didn't know if he doesn't do the food orders. i wonder if you emailed the company what they would say.

I'm going to email.   Or call.

But it seems like it would defeat the purpose of using local food for a distributor to drive more than 100 miles to purchase food, then drive 100 miles back to the distribution center, then pack it on a truck to send it back here.  Unless they are considering it to be local food if it comes from more than 100 miles away.  That doesn't really seem like local food to me.  I live in an area with a lot of farmland.  It would be easy for a restaurant in my town to get local produce.