It seems as if Chipotle's track record, including outbreaks of E. coli and norovirus, isn't enough to stop burrito bowl and taco fans from coming out to restaurants for lunch and dinner. However, Chipotle's portions – which have been memed out all over TikTok — are causing people to walk out of stores mid-order. Basically, Chipotle is experiencing backlash after popular food creator Keith Lee did a taste test with a steak quesadilla, burrito bowl, and tacos. He noticed that his nearly $10 bowl had little to no chicken, and he ranked it a 2/10. The quesadilla only ranked a 2.5/10. (Fortunately, the tacos received a solid 8/10.) When the food creator shared his feelings about the current state of Chipotle, the "Keith Lee effect" came into play. Here's why fans of Lee and Chipotle customers are walking out of Chipotle mid-order.
Why are customers walking out of Chipotle?
After Keith Lee brought the portion sizes, quality, and raised prices to light, customers are simply not having it anymore. According to people on both TikTok and Reddit, they are walking out mid-order due to small portions and scoops.
TikTok user @itzadzz went viral for asking for more chicken on his $14 bowl. One person in the comments of the video noted, "[C]hipotle portion sizes used to last me for 3 meals. [N]ow it's only 1 and it costs double what it used to, " with more than 280 likes. Another person noted, "Tried [Q]doba today probably not getting Chipotle for a while."
TikToker @isaacfrancis looked into a Hollywood Chipotle location "known to be skimping out on food" and didn't get much rice and walked out, too.
Some people in the comments fear that this tactic will only force customers to pay for bowls ahead of time. Though, the hope from those walking out is that the corporate HQ sees this "trend" and changes course.
However, some TikTokers, such as @lukefoods, wanted to see for themselves if Chipotle offered solid portions. They were happily surprised with their heavy bowls and burritos. As one person on Reddit noted, "Chipotle doesn’t have a portioning issue, it has a consistency issue." So, it seems as if not all Chipotle locations offer the same portions.
What else are customers doing to combat small Chipotle portions?
Aside from walking out mid-order, customers are taking to the app store and giving the Chipotle app a one-star review. Seriously, check it out for yourself. All of the most recent reviews look a little something like this:
As of now, Chipotle has not commented on the calls for boycott, walkout trend, or onslaught of bad app reviews. Just remember, be kind to your Chipotle workers, as they can get written up and yelled at for giving bigger portions. While it might be annoying, it is not directly their fault.