Chipotle Faced Backlash About Its Burrito Bowl Portion Sizes. How Did It Respond?

Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol has responded to the online backlash against its Burrito Bowl portion sizes, claiming that the company will adopt a new policy about portion sizes that will make customers happy. The news comes shortly after the company announced that it would be targeting “young urban male office workers” with its latest menu offering. Let’s take a look at what we know about the fast-food giant’s latest controversy.

Chipotle Burrito Bowls Will Now Have ‘Generous’ Portion Sizes

As reported by Fortune, approximately 10% of the chain’s 3,500 restaurants have portion sizes that are outliers, according to customer surveys. During the company’s second-quarter earnings call on Wednesday, July 24, Niccol said that Chipotle is now working to standardize larger amounts throughout all of its locations.

“There was never a directive to provide less to our customers,” he said on the call.

Executives at the firm have previously denied that the servings have altered, and former CEO and founder Steve Ells stated last month that the restaurant serves portions that are “quite generous.” However, the chain has now changed as a result of the social media backlash.

In an effort to address the unequal serving sizes, the restaurant is focusing more on mentoring and educating staff members and closely examining the outlier locations, according to Niccol. Per Bloomberg, Chipotle’s Chief Financial Officer Jack Hartung said that each customer should receive 4 ounces of meat and two generous scoops of rice.

This new proposal may cost the fast-food restaurant $50 million, but Niccol said that the investment is well worth it to keep customers happy and drive a new customer base.

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

The backlash that led to this decision began on social media in May, when Chipotle came under fire for allegedly economizing on ingredients. Some users claimed that the restaurant would serve larger amounts to customers who recorded while their orders were being processed. Many customers attempted it, much to the chagrin of the staff, before Chipotle eventually refuted the claim.

‘Young Urban Male, Suited and Booted Office Workers’

News of this latest development comes shortly after the company announced a new limited-time offering on its app, which was targeting the “young urban male, suited and booted office workers” that the chain says is its core base.

A “Chipotle Boy” is a young man who often orders more from the Mexican restaurant chain than what may be deemed normal or safe, according to writer Jackson McHenry of New York. He wrote on X, formerly Twitter, saying, “Overheard two twenty-something women discussing the concept of a ‘chipotle boy,’ apparently a boy who eats chipotle 5-7 days a week, ‘the chipotle boys are everywhere.’”

overheard two twenty-something women discussing the concept of a "chipotle boy," apparently a boy who eats chipotle 5-7 days a week, "the chipotle boys are everywhere"

— Jackson McHenry (@McHenryJD) May 27, 2024

In order to attract the attention of its target market, the organization has taken a direct approach. The discounted listing, called the Chipotle Boy Bowl, includes a spreadsheet, a collage of the bowl image, and a group of youthful finance experts with the words “You know who you are.”

Bustle has already been informed by numerous devoted patrons that the Mexican-inspired fast-food chain “ticks all the boxes” in terms of quickness, convenience, and nutritional value. As stated by the outlet, “After all, who needs variety when you have the intoxicating promise of optimization?”

Bustle also discovered that a large number of patrons were taking their orders to work and eating at their desks by picking them up from neighboring restaurants.

Attempting to alter the Chipotle Boy Bowl, however, triggers a notice that adjustments might prevent it from qualifying for the discounted pricing.