Chipotle is responding to customer demands for larger portion sizes by investing $50 million to meet these requests. Over the past year, several viral TikTok videos have shown customers using ‘hacks’ to get bigger portions, claiming the servings were shrinking.
One popular hack involved customers filming their servers at Chipotle, hoping the presence of a camera would ensure they received ‘proper’ portion sizes.
A study by Wells Fargo analyst Zachary Fadem and his team analyzed the size of Chipotle’s burrito bowls by purchasing and weighing 75 bowls. They found significant disparities, with the heaviest bowl weighing 47% more than the lightest. The disparity was even greater for digital orders, with the heaviest bowl weighing 87% more than the lightest. The study concluded that there was a notable inconsistency in portion sizes.
In response, Chipotle is planning to increase portion sizes in their stores. According to CEO Brian Niccol, 10% of Chipotle’s 3,500 restaurants are outliers in terms of portion sizes. To address this, the company will provide additional training to these locations to ensure consistent portion sizes. This initiative could cost the company $50 million.
Despite the cost, Niccol emphasized that “generous portion is a core brand equity of Chipotle. It always has been, and it always will be.”
Chipotle’s Chief Financial Officer, Jack Hartung, told Bloomberg that with this new initiative, each customer should receive two substantial scoops of rice and four ounces of meat.