After receiving countless customer complaints on social media regarding its inadequate portion sizes, Chipotle has confirmed that it has since been serving “consistent and generous portions” and prioritizing consumer needs.
Chipotle interim CEO Scott Boatwright told analysts Tuesday that the company is following through with its promise to serve up heartier portions. Back in July, former Chipotle chairman and CEO Brian Niccol — who is now at Starbucks — said the complaints have forced the company to reemphasize “training and coaching around ensuring we are consistently making bowls and burritos correctly.” He added that customers “expect this now more than ever” and the company is “committed to making this investment.”
Per Chipotle’s third-quarter earnings report, total revenue was $2.8 billion, an increase of 13% compared to last year’s third quarter. The increase was driven by new restaurant openings and an overall increase in comparable restaurant sales, the company specified. Chipotle opened 86 new company-operated restaurants, 73 of which included a Chipotlane, along with one internationally licensed restaurant.
Food, beverage and packaging costs were up due to inflation affecting several key ingredients, specifically avocados and dairy. The high costs were also due to greater usage of ingredients as Chipotle “focused on ensuring consistent and generous portions” and the introduction of a new limited-time-only protein option, Smoked Brisket. Chipotle said the increase “was partially offset by the benefit of menu price increases in the prior year.”
Despite the hike in costs, Boatwright said Chipotle is committed to serving its customers abundant portions.
“We know that portioning is a core equity of ours in the organization,” Boatwright said Tuesday. “We are committed to ensuring that we give the right portion to every guest that walks into the building.”
“We’ve seen strong improvement, even through our social channels … Now it’s a reverse of what we saw earlier in the year, around people posting big burritos, big bowls, and really excited about portioning they’re getting in the Chipotle brand,” he added.
Jack Hartung, Chipotle’s former CFO turned president of strategy, finance, and supply chain, told Bloomberg in July that Chipotle customers would be given two hefty scoops of rice and four ounces of meat. Hartung said the increase in portions would cost the company an extra $50 million.
Chipotle decided to remedy its portion size issues after the company was hit with online claims of “shrinkflation.” In May, social media star and food critic Keith Lee complained about the lack of chicken in his burrito bowl, saying Chipotle’s “portions been crazy low.”
“This is out of the ordinary for me, but I used to love Chipotle,” Lee said in a review posted May 3. “Lately, Chipotle has not hit the same, in my opinion. Is it still like that, or has something changed? I truly want to find out.”
Shortly after, some customers began filming Chipotle workers making their meal and walking out mid-order if the portions seemed too small to their liking. Rumors claimed that customers who filmed Chipotle workers would automatically receive larger portions per company protocol. Although a few folks who tested out the “hack” said they received more food, Chipotle quickly shut down the misinformation, saying the “hack” is misleading.
Laurie Schalow, chief corporate affairs and food safety officer at Chipotle, told Forbes and NBC’s Today that the company never instructed its employees to give more food to filming customers. Schalow told Forbes “there have been no changes in our portion sizes, and we have reinforced proper portioning with our employees.” The company maintained that it never shrunk its portion sizes. Its meals have always been “completely customizable,” meaning customers can “vocalize or digitally select their desired portions when choosing from the list of real ingredients,” Chipotle clarified.
