Chipotle CEO rejects portion size criticism—but says you can get more food with a ‘secret look’

In an interview with Fortune, Niccol said “portions have not gotten smaller,” and offered disappointed customers seeking an even bigger burrito or bowl a pro tip: Give the workers a secret look. 

The specialty taco and burrito eatery, which is historically known for its big portion sizes, has been caught in a months long-crossfire with angry customers who insist the portions have shrunk while prices hike higher. Despite the upset, Chipotle’s CEO denied the claims and seemed to encourage customers to indirectly ask for more food by giving workers a ‘look’—but the tip might just be a confusing, indirect method to get more food than asking politely, which is, of course, still an option.  

“One of the things I think is great about Chipotle is if you come into the restaurant and you want a little more rice or you want a little more pico [de gallo],” Niccol told Fortune, who then widened his eyes slightly and nodded his head, “usually our guys and women give them a little more scoop.” 

Niccol acknowledged how big portions are part of the image of the brand, telling Fortune, “it’s kind of who we are.” 

“We always want to give people big portions that get them excited about the food,” he said. “If you want to double the amount of meat, you gotta pay for it, but our goal is to get people really excited about what I believe is really delicious food.” 

Hundreds of customers who have taken to Reddit and TikTok with their gripes about the chain seem to think otherwise. On the Chipotle subreddit, one user wrote, “I used to eat Chipotle 2-3x a week. I haven’t been in a year. It’s inconsistent, expensive, and the portions are terrible.” 

Another user wrote, “At least skimping on chicken/meat may make financial sense to them. They are skimping rice and beans on veggie bowls. That’s crazy.” 

The public dissent is also leading some to try other secret–and questionable–methods in hopes of getting a bigger meal, like filming workers while they prepare orders. This particular method blew up on TikTok, where a handful of influencers believed they were getting more food because they were filming their meals being made, leading them to instruct others to do the same for similar results.

There’s currently a “method” going around for Chipotle, basically you film them while they make your food which makes them not skimp out on the portions because they don’t want the bad publicity or reviews 😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/VU4NX7a9hz

— FearBuck (@FearedBuck) May 26, 2024

The move to videotape workers is questionable at best, with some workers expressing discomfort with the trend. One Chipotle employee posted to Reddit, “I’m not dealing with getting videoed [because] someone’s sad about portions. Sorry that corporate sucks, but I can’t do anything about it and I sympathize with some customers. I try to give more than I’m supposed to. But a camera in my face is dehumanizing.” 

Chipotle seemed to address the trend in its own post to TikTok on May 23, which conveys a crowd of people holding out their phones and appearing to take videos in front of the counter line at a Chipotle restaurant. It also released a statement saying there’s no guarantee that filming your meal being made will lead to more food on your plate, or bowl. 

The noise about portion sizes at Chipotle comes after the chain announced price hikes several times since 2021, which the company said was meant to offset the cost of paying employees higher wages; it plans to continue raising prices this year to keep up with the costs of goods. The eatery most recently announced price hikes last October, marking the fourth time the chain raised prices in the past two years. Other chains, including McDonald’s and Taco Bell, also raised prices over the last two years.