Guacapocalypse or Guacpocalypse (guacamole + apocalypse)
“Guacapocalypse” or “guacpocalypse” (guacamole + apocalypse) is the disaster that strikes an eater when he or she realizes that there’s no more guacamole left. Chipotle Mexican Grill issued a statement to the Securities and Exchange Commission in February 2014, stating that weather patterns might cause shortages in certain ingredients:
“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. 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.”
Rumors spread in March 2014 that Chipotle would be forced to stop serving guacamole, creating the “guacapocalpse.” “There is no looming ‘guacapocalypse’ and I wouldn’t read too much into this,” said Chipotle spokesman Chris Arnold.
“Guacapocalypse” was cited on Twitter on August 19, 2013, in response to a story that avocados were becoming smaller because of unusual weather patterns. The term “guacapocalypse” (sometimes spelled as “guacpocalypse”) went viral on March 5, 2014.
Twitter
neff conner
@nffcnnr
weird weather means avocados will be ~30% smaller than usual. http://n.pr/13MXk8E #guacapocalypse
3:23 PM - 19 Aug 2013
Think Progress
Chipotle Warns It Might Stop Serving Guacamole If Climate Change Gets Worse
BY EMILY ATKIN ON MARCH 4, 2014 AT 3:56 PM
It’s your choice, America. Fix the climate, or the guac gets it.
Chipotle Inc. is warning investors that extreme weather events “associated with global climate change” might eventually affect the availability of some of its ingredients. If availability is limited, prices will rise — and Chipotle isn’t sure it’s willing to pay.
“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,” the popular chain, whose Sofritas vegan tofu dish recently went national, said in its annual report released last month. “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.”
Chipotle did say that it recognizes the pain it (and its devotees) would have to go through if it decided to suspend a menu item. “Any such changes to our available menu may negatively impact our restaurant traffic and comparable restaurant sales, and could also have an adverse impact on our brand,” the filing read.
Twitter
Joe Parks
@joepaMN
Oh fer dumb. MT @JunkScience: Guacpocalypse Now: Chipotle warns global warming may force it to stop serving guac. http://goo.gl/y5eI4J
4:25 PM - 4 Mar 2014
Twitter
Jennifer Chasteen
@chasteenj
Guacapocalypse | Chipotle Threatens No More Guac http://ow.ly/3hMPha Daily Beast #QSR #FastCasual
7:30 AM - 5 Mar 2014
NPR—The Salt blog
Chipotle Says There’s No ‘Guacapocalypse’ Looming
by MARIA GODOY
March 05, 2014 11:42 AM
Looks like reports of a looming “guacapocalypse” have been vastly overstated.
This morning, guacamole lovers woke to headlines warning that Mexican fast-food chain Chipotle could eventually be forced to drop the dip from its menu, if changing global weather patterns continue to drive volatility in the price of avocados.
(...)
Then came this sentence that could squash a guac lover’s heart:
“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.”
But there’s no reason for Chipotle fans to panic, says company spokesman Chris Arnold. He tells us that the warning included in the SEC filing is just a routine disclosure of risk factors that could impact business.
“There is no looming ‘guacapocalypse’ and I wouldn’t read too much into this,” Arnold tells The Salt in an email.
Mother Nature Network
Are reports of the ‘Guacapocalypse’ greatly exaggerated?
Is the latest foodie freak-out, Chipotle’s looming guacamole crisis, something you need to worry about?
Wed, Mar 05, 2014 at 1:56 PM
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Today, news reports based on the annual report that Chipotle filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (which it looks like Chipotle has removed from its website) have foodies crying “Guacapocalypse!” While I usually cringe at “pocalypse” or “mageddon” being added to every food that’s in some sort of crisis, “Guacapocalypse” is so much fun to say, I don’t mind this one. Go ahead. Say it three times fast. I’ll wait.
In the report, Chipotle warned investors that “weather events related to climate change could increase prices for some of its ingredients.” Instead of paying more for those ingredients, the report said that Chipotle might “suspend serving menu items” like guacamole or some salsas.
No guacamole? It’s the end of the world! Apparently, no one is worried about a “salsapacolypse” — probably because it’s not as fun to say.