Chipotle puts hopes in queso — and higher pricesChipotle puts hopes in queso — and higher prices

A norovirus incident in Virginia and an incident involving rodents at a location in Dallas hurt same-store sales at Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc., over the past week, but the company believes it can turn that around quickly, thanks to cheese sauce.

For the quarter ended June 30, same-store sales increased 8.1 percent.

The burrito-chain’s same-store sales slowed by 5.5 percent in the week following news reports of the norovirus outbreak in Sterling, Va., Chipotle executives said during the company’s second quarter earning call on Tuesday. More than 135 customers have reported getting sick at the restaurant.

The company blamed the problem on managers at the restaurant not following protocols Chipotle established in the wake of a series of foodb...