Chipotle has conceded to customer complaints on social media, admitting that its portion sizes at some locations have been lacking.
On July 24, Chipotle chairman and CEO Brian Niccol confirmed that the burrito chain would be reevaluating its portion sizes during the company’s Q2 2024 Earnings Call, stating that complaints on X, TikTok and other social platforms played a part in the decision.
“I want to take a minute to address the portion concerns that have been brought up in social media,” Niccol said during the call. “First, there was never a directive to provide less to our customers. Generous portion is a core brand equity of Chipotle. It always has been, and it always will be.”
Niccol said that receiving negative feedback, though, caused the company to reexamine its portion execution across its entire system, which includes 3,500 restaurants in the U.S.
“We have focused in on those outlier portion scores based on consumer surveys,” Niccol said, adding that the company has “probably found about 10% or more of restaurants” in need of retraining to what the company says are the “right standards.”
“We are reemphasizing training and coaching around ensuring we are consistently making bowls and burritos correctly,” Niccol said.
He also said that customers “expect this now more than ever” and that the company is “committed to making this investment.”
The brouhaha over the burrito chain’s servings began in early May when food influencer and critic Keith Lee voiced his recent disappointment with Chipotle’s offerings.
“This is out of the ordinary for me, but I used to love Chipotle,” Lee said to his 16+ million followers in a May 3 taste test. “Lately, Chipotle has not hit the same, in my opinion. Is it still like that, or has something changed? I truly want to find out.”
Lee tried three separate “go-to” items including the viral steak quesadilla with corn and sour cream on the side, a chicken al pastor bowl and chicken tacos in crispy tortillas. While he gave the tacos high marks, he criticized the seasonings and what he called a lack of chicken in his bowl.
Lee is widely known for a Chipotle hack that went viral in January 2023 and was later added to the chain’s menu. That same steak quesadilla with extra cheese and fajita veggies — which fans say tastes like a Philly cheesesteak — received a poor rating this time around.
“In my opinion it’s going from a 10 to a 2.5 out of 10,” Lee says of the quesadilla. “It’s a little bit better than the bowl for me.”
“This is my opinion you can take it with a grain of salt,” he adds. “I just had to be honest. I don’t mean no harm.”
Since Lee’s review, fans started review-bombing the Chipotle app in the hopes of getting the chain to change their portion sizes. Additionally, on TikTok, Reddit and beyond, folks have complained about the apparent stinginess of their local Chipotle restaurants.
“For about the last 15 years, I would say I’ve been one of the biggest supporters in the game,” TikToker Jack’s Dining Room said in a video with 4.2 million views. “But, Chipotle kind of has been off their game recently. I will call them out.”
“When I get a bowl and they give me two pieces of chicken I’m like ‘can you just add one more scoop?’ and they’re like ‘you want double meat?’ and I’m like ‘no, I just want the chicken I asked for,’” the TikToker continued. “Like, am I crazy? Is that not fair?”
On May 28, Chipotle responded to customer complaints on social media that its portion sizes had shrunk.
“Our intentions are to provide a great experience every time, and our meals have always been completely customizable so guests can vocalize or digitally select their desired portions when choosing from the list of real ingredients,” Laurie Schalow, Chipotle’s chief corporate affairs and food safety officer, told TODAY.com at the time.
Schalow said there have been no changes in the chain’s portion sizes, adding Chipotle has reinforced proper portioning with its employees. “If we did not deliver on our value, we want our guests to reach out so we can make it right,” she added.
Amid all the complaints on TikTok and beyond, a pseudo-hack emerged suggesting that if customers record Chipotle workers as they make food, the size of portions could improve. This, however, was blasted on X and Reddit from folks defending hassled workers.
“you actually don’t have to do surveillance on underpaid workers for an extra scoop of carnitas, it’s kinda weird :/,” one X user wrote.
Despite these complaints, Chipotle reported a total revenue increase of 18.2% to $3.0 billion this quarter compared to the second quarter of 2023. The chain also opened 52 new company-operated restaurants.
