During a recent investor call, Chipotle chairman and CEO Brian Niccol addressed social media users’ concerns over lackluster portions, possibly leading to increased portion sizes for the chain’s bowls and burritos.
The call included mention of changes in leadership procedures, now emphasizing “coaching” and “training” to make sure employees are “consistently making bowls and burritos correctly” throughout all 3,500 locations.
At the beginning of the call, Niccol stated, “There was never a directive to provide less to our customers. Generous portions are a core brand equity of Chipotle. It always has been, and it always will be.”
According to Niccol, changes in portion management are already underway, as Chipotle is working with outlier locations showcasing lower-than-average portion scores per customer surveys. He adds that these changes are already beneficial, as consumer scores and value proposition “remain very strong.”
Finishing his remarks, Niccol explained, “Our guests expect this now more than ever, and we are committed to making this investment to reinforce that Chipotle stands for a generous amount of delicious (and) fresh food at fair prices for every customer every visit.”
The issue initially gained widespread notoriety after social media users on sites like TikTok began complaining about the company’s portions, eventually spawning a viral challenge to pressure employees to add more food to the consumer’s burrito or bowl.
Specifically, the “Chipotle Camera TikTok Challenge” features a customer, occasionally accompanied by spectators, filming workers to coerce them into increasing the portion size for their item.
AiVideoLab, a TikTok user, posted a clip showing himself filming a Chipotle employee with a film camera. The caption for the post reads, “Brought my camera into Chipotle, and they hooked it up #Chipotle #chipotlebowl #portionsizes #aivideolab,” and now it has over 2.2 million views.
Similarly, user ryanhitdalotto posted the same kind of video, featuring the user’s cellphone as a recording device to film the worker. In the background, a voice can be heard saying, “She doesn’t even know I’m about to leave.” The caption for this post, which earned over 2.5 million views, was “Enough is enough we want more food @Chipotle #trending #viral #food #chipotle #mukbang #minnesota.”
Another creator, Ace the Courageous, posted a scaled-up version of this challenge. He and his friends brought several cameras, a foldable white backdrop, and a boom mic. In the video, security officers try to remove Ace and his friends from the premises. In line with other posts, this creator captioned the video with “Chipotle food hack” and garnered 2.4 million views.
Finally, instead of pushing for a larger bowl, TikTok creator Eric Decker wanted to film workers to get a heavier burrito. In the video, Decker purchases burritos with and without the film equipment. The burrito he received when he did not bring the film crew weighed less than the one he filmed.
Despite the criticism in these social media posts, according to Niccol, Chipotle’s total sales continue to grow, increasing 18% in the second quarter and reaching almost $3 billion in revenue. Additionally, the chain has opened another 53 new restaurants.
The company’s shares rose 3.8% Thursday during the premarket trade and leaped nearly 14% once the call ended. Later that afternoon, the stock traded down about 1%.
