Adam Elkaffass (@itzadzz) is a Brit who thinks that American Chipotle customers are being crybabies over the chain’s purportedly minuscule portion sizes. So Elkaffass, a TikTok user with over 244,000 followers, decided to take a trip to the fast-casual chain to see in-person whether or not the sizes were as small as some people have said.
He found out first-hand that they were.
“OK, so all the Americans are unpleased with the portion sizes in Chipotle, so I’m here to say if their portion sizes are really tiny, or Americans just need to lose some weight and stop complaining about portion sizes,” he says, recording the video from the parking lot of a Chipotle location.
He pans his camera over to the exterior of the restaurant after speaking to the camera, before eventually going inside the store. At this point, Elkaffass seems sure the portions won’t be as small.
“OK, so I’ve just entered and I guarantee you that the portion sizes are not gonna be that tiny,” he says, walking up to the front of the line.
Are Chipotle customers being dramatic about portion sizes?
It didn’t take long for his guarantee to become nullified, as the very next shot of the video shows him on the Chipotle assembly line as a worker makes a bowl for him. He records the amount of food in the bowl, pointing to a few pieces of chicken inside of his order.
“Can I get some more chicken?” he asks the worker, who inquires if he’d like a double portion amount.
“No, I don’t want double, I just want more chicken. That’s…like…you know what? Leave it. Don’t worry about it, thank you,” he tells her.
“Once again, I apologize to Americans. You guys were not lying. As soon as I saw $14 and 4 pieces of bomboclatt rassclatt chicken—” he says as the video cuts out.
In a caption for the clip, he adds, “That was not OK.”
Commenters weigh in
Numerous commenters who responded to his video seemed to either share in his pain or agree with his assessment of the overpriced and under-portioned burrito bowl.
“She did you DIRTY,” one person wrote.
“They legit gave u 6 little chicken bites,” someone else said.
Another gave their assessment of the man’s Chipotle order: “Bro payed 14 bucks for rice n beans.”
Someone else recommended that the TikToker go to a popular Chipotle competitor: CAVA, which has become a recurring chorus among folks who said they’ve felt slighted by the former fast-casual chain’s offerings as of late.
“Gotta go to cava they give you like 8 spoons of everything,” they said.
However, some folks thought Elkaffass could’ve ensured he had a way worse Chipotle experience—by placing his order via the chain’s mobile application. “You gotta order it on an app, it’s even worse that way,” one wrote.
@itzadzz That was not OK. #chipotle #usa #brittish ♬ original sound – Adzz
One customer of the chain said that they’ve seen workers intentionally give out less food: “I’ve legit seen them take a spoon full, realize it’s a spoonful and knock some off the spoon before putting it in the bowl.”
Others proposed a way of getting back at individual Chipotle chains: by heading into the store, placing massive orders, and then, when it finally comes time to pay, just leaving. Several fast-food customers have tried to “get back” at the chain by walking out mid-order, and multiple people have documented such online.
“That ‘like double’ would have sent me over the edge. i would have loaded up on everything and walked out,” one said.
Another wrote, “What if we start ordering double with guac, then just leave.”
Why are Chipotle workers skimpy with the portions?
However, several others noted that Chipotle workers have claimed they will be reprimanded for giving out larger portions than they’ve been instructed to.
“I saw a video from an ex Chipotle worker and apparently they get written up if they give more protein,” one commenter wrote, and it would appear that Mashed corroborates this assertion.
The food-centric outlet writes, “Chipotle’s portions are regulated by a strict monitoring system,” while adding, “At Chipotle, portion sizes are actually rigidly regulated. A database keeps track of how much food is being served, and losses are not taken lightly.”
Local news outlet Fox 8, in the wake of numerous social media outcries in response to Chipotle’s rising prices, reported that the serving sizes for Chipotle’s offerings are as follows: four ounces of meat, four ounces of rice, one ounce of cheese, and an ounce of lettuce. The outlet states that employees are usually prone to give a bit more to customers when it comes to rice and beans, but cheese and meat, since they cost more money, is where the restaurant gets a bit more strict and will police portions.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Chipotle via email and Elkaffass via TikTok comment for further information.
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