That Chipotle portion-size social media drama might mean more 'generous' meals for some customers

Chipotle has been retraining staff at some restaurants after a social media debate about small portion sizes for some of its bowls and burritos.

• Chipotle has taken action after some customers complained about small portion sizes at the chain.
• The company found stores that got "outlier portion scores" in surveys, CEO Brian Niccol said.
• Chipotle never gave "a directive to provide less to our customers," Niccol added.

Maybe you can keep your phone tucked away next time you place an order at Chipotle.

Customer complaints about Chipotle's portion sizes have prompted the chain to make sure its bowls and burritos are "more consistent" at its 3,500 locations, CEO Brian Niccol said on an earnings call Wednesday.

"We have focused in on those with outlier portion scores based on consumer surveys, and we are reemphasizing training and coaching around ensuring we are consistently making bowls and burritos correctly," Niccol said during the call.

Niccol said that "there was never a directive to provide less to our customers."

"Generous portions is a core brand equity of Chipotle," he said. "It always has been and it always will be."

Chipotle's crackdown on differing portion sizes comes after some customers posted on TikTok and other social media platforms claiming that they weren't getting as much protein in their bowls and burritos as they used to.

One such video on TikTok shows influencer Keith Lee searching through a bowl for a piece of chicken.

Others claimed that customers could combat skimpy portions of meat by whipping out their smartphones and filming as they ordered in-store — a move they hoped would prompt employees to give them some extra food.

The debate over Chipotle's portion sizes even led one Wall Street analyst to order and weigh 75 bowls from different restaurants to see if there were disparities. (There were, he found.)

Still, all the drama doesn't seem to have hurt the chain too much. Chipotle's second-quarter results beat analysts' expectations. Revenue for the quarter rose 18% to $3 billion.

The Mexican grill chain increased prices in California earlier this year after a new minimum wage law took effect in that state. Overall, food, drink, and packaging costs stayed steady this quarter compared to the same period in 2023, Chipotle said, but it's had to contend with higher avocado prices, according to its earnings release.

Executives also said on Wednesday's call that they hope that they won't have to increase prices again in 2024.

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