Chipotle Says It’s Been Listening To Its TikTok Critics

It was among the most popular Mexican restaurant chains in the country for years due in large part to the large portions of meat, beans, and cheese it served up. But when Chipotle seemed to start skimping on those sizes, social media users were quick to react.

Breaking down the backlash

TikTokers and other online critics shared videos and images of their plates to show off what they felt was an insufficient amount of food for the money.

It became quite a trend, including a widely shared video by TikTok food influencer Keith Lee who inserted a jab about the slack amount of chicken during a review of the restaurant’s food a couple of months ago.

The same month, another popular account recalled receiving “two pieces of chicken” and being offered “double meat” for an additional price upon requesting an extra scoop.

“I’m like, ‘No, I just want the chicken I asked for,’” the user said. “... Like, am I crazy? Is that not fair?”

Plenty of others chimed in with their own underwhelming experiences, and at first the company denied there had been any intentional effort to cut back on portions. But now CEO Brian Niccol is facing the music and vowing to win back those who haven’t been satisfied lately.

Taking the feedback to heart

In a recent earnings call, Niccol reiterated that “there was never a directive to provide less to our customers,” though he acknowledged that the perception from some unsatisfied individuals revealed an area of concern.

Specifically, he pointed to roughly 1 in 10 “outlier” restaurants with a high number of portion-size complaints, confirming that employees at these locations should be retrained.

In the end, he said “generous portions across all of our restaurants” remains “a core brand equity of Chipotle.”

Chris Agee July 27th, 2024

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