CHIPOTLE customers believe they have found a trick to make sure the chain never skimps on ingredients in its famous bowls.
The Mexican-style chain, which was once known for its low-price and large-portion meals, including heavy bowls and stuffed burritos, has faced backlash from customersnationwide.
Many have been voicing their frustrations on social media, saying the chain they once knew and loved, like many others, has gotten greedy since the pandemic.
Chipotle insists they have made no changes to the portion sizes in recent years, but many still believe they have been receiving less food than they used to despite having to pay more than ever.
This has led to a new trend on social media where customers believe if they record the workers making their food, then out of fear of bad press and reviews, they won’t skimp out on the portion sizes.
“People on social media have been dragging Chipotle so hard that allegedly a memo was sent out to Chipotle employees, instructing them to fill up the bowls as much as possible if someone has their phone out or is filming while ordering,” wrote business and investment influencer, Alex Friedman, on X, formerly Twitter.
Videos on TikTok by influencers like Waynedang, also show comments from people alleging they are Chipotle employees.
They seem to confirm this theory, claiming their managers have told them not to skimp an order if the customer is filming.
In one video by influencer Wowdrew, employees at the chain can be seen filling up bowls like mountains for customers who are filming.
“Holy f**k that’s the biggest plate I’ve ever seen,” commented one user under a video of a customer filming the employee making their bowl.
“So THATS why my Chipotle order felt HUGE the other day,” wrote another who says he was just holding his phone in his hand, but he wasn’t filming.
Others reminisced and shared old tweets reflecting what they called the chain’s good old days.
“Do you ever look at an infant and realize that you’ve eaten Chipotle burritos approximately the same size,” an old post from 2014 that one user shared read.
However, a spokesperson for Chipotle told the U.S. Sun that they have not been serving smaller portions to customers in recent years, and “did not issue instructions regarding filming.”
“There have been no changes in our portion sizes, and we have reinforced proper portioning with our employees,” said Laurie Schalow, the chief corporate affairs and food safety officer for Chipotle.
“If we did not deliver on our value, we want our guests to reach out so we can make it right,” she said to the U.S. Sun.
Chipotle did have some fun on TikTok addressing the rumor with a video that jokingly shows workers being surrounded by a sea of customers on their phones.
Although some people found their take on the situation funny, others saw it as an admission of guilt.
“Chipotle is BOLD for this,” read one comment.
Chipotle has raised prices numerous times over the last few years, citing rising production costs and inflation.
In California, for example, customers have seen price increases of nearly 10%.
“We will be taking a modest price increase to offset inflation,” Schalow said in 2023.
One Redditor found an old receipt for their Chiptole order from 2015, and compared that price to what she pays now for the same order.
What they found was that since then, the price has increased by over 57%.
Her order for a steak burrito went from $7.40 in 2015 to $11.65 as of 10 months ago in her location.
But despite Chiptole claiming their pockets are being squeezed from inflation and rising costs, the chain has reported record profits.
In fact, the company reported an income of $2.721 billion from last March to this March, an almost 21% increase from the year earlier.
Since the pandemic, Chipotle has seen massive increases in profits, with an incredible 64% jump to kick things off from 2020 to 2021, right when they claim inflation started disrupting their business, according to Macrotrends.
In June of 2021, Chipotle raised prices by roughly 4%. Starting towards the end of 2022, prices went up about 13% compared to the year before.
“Something changed, and I don’t know what it is,” said influencer Keith Lee, who once had an endorsement deal with the chain, in a review where he also called out the portion size he received.
“I’ve been such an out-loud supporter of Chipotle, so I feel like the love has to be as loud as the constructive criticism,” said Lee.