Scrolling through Chipotle TikTok, one often finds customers who are disgruntled with the value (or lack thereof) when it comes to the chain’s meals. Often, it has to do with portion sizes, or inaccuracy of their orders, like one person who ordered a quesadilla and was given a bowl with ingredients but was still charged for the full price.
In what is another social media ding against the fast-casual chain, a TikToker named Ami (@arimacgirl) uploaded a video of a “micro burrito” they received that looked more like a potato than the massive tortilla-wrapped monstrosities some influencers tout online.
Her clip about the fast food slight garnered 5.4 million views as of Saturday and sparked numerous reactions from other commenters who had their own gripes with Chipotle.
Her clip begins with her recording the sad-looking mini-burrito. She palms the food in her hand and writes in a text overlay, “Had a damn day and all I wanted was a chipotle burrito. got a micro burrito instead. She moves it around in her hand before dropping it with a flourish onto the foil in which it was wrapped.
Some outlets have reported the chain’s portion sizes “are not getting smaller” despite food inflation, which has skyrocketed since 2021. That’s according to Chipotle’s CFO Jack Hartung told Yahoo Finance in July of 2023, “Portion sizes are not getting smaller. When customers come to Chipotle, they expect their burrito– They want not only the ingredients they want, but they want the portions that they want. One of the great things about customers that come to our restaurant, they interact with our customers. They get exactly what they want as they move down the line.”
In the same discussion with Hartung, the outlet quoted him as stating that the chain’s profits indicate there’s “no indication people are spending less” at their restaurant, and around that same time there’s data that backs this claim: when stacked against the same quarter in 2022, the chain reported a 13.6% revenue increase.
@arimacgirl upset is an understatement #chipotle ♬ nintendo wii (mii channel) song – julie on the internet
Viewers had some suggestions on how she could get the chain to right their burrito wrong. One person said that if she complained, the eatery would award her with a voucher.
“Nah email chipotle and they will give you a entree coupon,” they said. ” I had to do it one time bc I got into a car accident and I couldn’t get my food.”
Someone else commented on what seems to be a recurring trend with online Chipotle orders: patrons who make their purchases in-store receive larger quantities of food as opposed to mobile ordering.
“This is why i only get chipotle if i can do it in person,” they said.
For others, they seemed just as shocked as Ami was at the item she received from the restaurant.
“I thought it was a potato,” someone wrote, which was a sentiment echoed by someone else who said, “Me: Since when does Chipotle sell plain potatoes???”
Someone else said that Ami’s burrito is a far cry from the type of fare they were used to getting at the Chipotle of yesteryear.
“I remember when they couldn’t even roll the burritos because they were stuffed so much,” they said. “And it was $7.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Chipotle via email and Ami via TikTok comment for further information.