Popular burrito and bowl spot, Chipotle, has been under fire in the past year or so for its inconsistent portion sizes. Social media began to notice this first, complaining about less food in their bowls than what they thought they were paying for. Once the speculations caught steam, the theory was proven by a Wells Fargo analyst who tested 75 different bowls and confirmed there was a significant difference in portions. In the midst of all this conversation, Chipotle CEO, Brian Niccol, decided to weigh in.
What did he say?
In an earnings call on Wednesday, Niccol stated that there was never a direct order given to employees to lessen portions. With this information, though, the company has decided to become more strict with their training protocol. “Generous portions is a core brand equity of Chipotle. It always has been and it always will be,” Niccol said in the call. Management seems to be unwilling to take on any of the blame, instead passing it onto the employees. If you work at Chipotle, look out — training is about to become a whole lot harder.
How is this affecting Chipotle’s business?
The short answer — its not. The second quarter of 2024, Chipotle’s revenue has actually gone up by 18%. Chipotle is pretty used to criticism, after their infamous E.coli outbreak. So the chain has been able to roll with the punches of this bad press, especially due to its increase in prices last year. These increases were mainly due to the rising minimum wage guidelines, as well as pricier avocados. The brand hopes to not raise prices again in 2024.
Ultimately, you probably won’t see your bowls all going back to normal overnight. But seeing a CEO directly address the public’s critiques so openly is definitely heartening, and shows commitment to their audience. Moving forward, hopefully Chipotle can gain back their customers’ trusts and appetites.