The CEO of Chipotle told investors this week the restaurant had skimped on ingredients for customers in the past but would be “retraining” staff to serve bigger portions.
Brian Niccol, the chain’s top executive, said there was no “directive” to serve smaller portions, but the company was taking steps to fix it.
“Generous portion is a core brand equity of Chipotle. It always has been, and it always will be, he said, adding: “With that said, getting the feedback caused us to relook at our execution across our entire system with the intention to always serve our guests delicious, fresh, custom burritos, and bowls with generous portions.”
Niccol had previously said he was disappointed to learn about the “Chipotle Camera Trick Challenge,” a viral TikTok trend where customers film — or pretend to film — their server in order to get a bigger portion.
The restaurant has been anecdotally accused of skimping; on the call to investors, Niccol confirmed about 10% of its 3,500 locations had “outlier portion scores.”
“We’ll invest in it, and we’ll figure out how to make sure we consistently do it every time,” he said.
It’s unclear if the chain will raise prices while offering larger portions.
Jack Hartung, Chipotle’s chief financial officer, previously said it would cost the company about $50 million to put two large scoops of rice and four ounces of meat in every burrito or burrito bowl. The company had $3 billion in revenue in the last financial quarter, Niccol told investors.
“Shrinkflation” has become a common complaint among consumers, who have accused companies of raising prices on items — while turning out smaller sizes for items like potato chips and cereal.
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