---
title: "Chipotle, Wonder, and cryptocurrency"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/38a07685-4a02-4f2d-9d3a-799615be5333
source: "Nation's Restaurant News"
original_url: https://www.nrn.com/fast-casual/chipotle-wonder-and-cryptocurrency
author: "Lisa Jennings, Leigh Anne Zinsmeister"
category: "Mexican"
industry: "Restaurants"
segment: "Mexican"
published: 2026-09-18T13:40:57.000Z
modified: 2026-10-31T13:16:50.969Z
image: https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/bltea7aee2fca050a19/blt9a4b4f109e4987f0/68434a9ade658b15ffc4d163/Wonder-700M-second-funding-round.jpg?width=720&quality=80&disable=upscale
---

# Chipotle, Wonder, and cryptocurrency

**TL;DR:** Chipotle is investing in a food safety risk management platform with Palantir, while Wonder is laying off over 500 workers and consolidating production. Blackbird's CEO testified before Congress on the benefits of cryptocurrency in restaurants, including lower payment processing fees.

*By Lisa Jennings, Leigh Anne Zinsmeister, originally published in Nation's Restaurant News on 2026-09-18. [Read the original](https://www.nrn.com/fast-casual/chipotle-wonder-and-cryptocurrency).*

## Story

Chipotle is investing in a new food safety risk management platform in partnership with Artificial Intelligence giant Palantir. The pilot comes amid a busy summer of food safety incidents driven largely by a nationwide cyclospora outbreak. Chipotle was not implicated.

But Chipotle said the food-safety platform is “designed to provide a more consistent and centralized view of food safety risk across our restaurants.” The company added that the platform brings key information together in one place, enabling teams to more effectively identify trends, prioritize follow-up and make proactive, data-informed decisions.

Wonder is laying off more than 500 workers at its production plants in New Jersey. The company is shutting down two plants and consolidating into a single high-capacity facility that it said will prepare it for long-term growth. It comes weeks after the company cut down its corporate staff by 7% in an effort to streamline. It said laid-off employees would be able to apply for other jobs at Wonder, including at the new plant.

Blackbird is making its case for cryptocurrency in restaurants. Ben Leventhal, CEO of the restaurant rewards company, testified before Congress this week that cryptocurrency can benefit small restaurants by lowering their payment processing fees. That is a core part of Blackbird’s business model, which includes a digital currency called Fly that customers can spend like cash. Leventhal called on Congress to create clear rules around crypto so that the industry can grow. That prospect took a blow this week, though, when the Senate voted no on a landmark crypto regulation bill.

## Entities

- QSR (sector)
- Nation's Restaurant News (publication)
- new jersey (location)
- Chipotle (company)
- regulation (topic)
- food safety (topic)
- Congress (regulator)
- consolidation (topic)
- Wonder (company)
- layoffs (topic)
- cryptocurrency (topic)
- Palantir (company)

---
Originally reported by Lisa Jennings, Leigh Anne Zinsmeister, Nation's Restaurant News (https://www.nrn.com/fast-casual/chipotle-wonder-and-cryptocurrency). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/38a07685-4a02-4f2d-9d3a-799615be5333).