An Analyst Ordered 75 Chipotle Burrito Bowls To Test Portion Sizes

Leave it to a Wells Fargo food expert to definitively resolve the Chipotle burrito “weight debate.”

On TikTok, some consumers accused Chipotle of underserving food quantities. They created a habit of photographing Chipotle personnel as they customized their burrito orders with chicken, guacamole, and other toppings in order to get larger scoops.

Chiptotle

An Analyst Ordered 75 Chipotle Burrito Bowls To Test Portion Sizes

The “Chipotle phone method” went viral on social media, and several personnel reacted, stating customers filming them was “stressful and dehumanizing.”

Chipotle’s CEO eventually addressed the matter.

“The portions have not gotten smaller,” Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol told Fortune recently. “We always want to give people big portions that get them excited about the food.” He stated that if consumers require extra rice or another topping, they can ask an employee.

So Zachary Fadem, a Wells Fargo analyst, went to Chipotle to investigate.

Fadem and his team ordered and weighed 75 burrito bowls with white rice, black beans, chicken, pico de gallo, cheese, and lettuce from eight Chipotle locations in New York City. (They brought them back to the office for lunch with other Wells Fargo employees.)

chipotle

An Analyst Ordered 75 Chipotle Burrito Bowls To Test Portion Sizes

The analysts discovered that the uniformity of the portions varied significantly.

The bowls weighed nearly the same for in-store and online orders. However, some locations served bowls that were 33% heavier than others. Some burrito bowls went to extremes, with one topping out at 27 ounces in one place and only 14 ounces in another. The median weight was approximately 21.5 ounces.

According to Laurie Schalow, Chipotle’s chief corporate affairs officer, the size of a customer’s bowl may vary depending on the number of components selected or whether an ingredient is extra or light. She stated that the corporation has not adjusted its portion sizes.

Portion size uniformity is vital for restaurants because it allows them to control costs and avoid running out of products or having too much left over.

An Analyst Ordered 75 Chipotle Burrito Bowls To Test Portion Sizes

Customers expect consistency from restaurant chains, and analysts warn that if serving sizes are not consistent, the chain’s reputation may suffer. Many firms have been chastised for reducing product sizes while charging the same or more, a practice known as “shrinkflation.”

However, this does not appear to be affecting Chipotle. Despite the social media concerns, Chipotle’s sales increased 7% last quarter, beating competitors such as McDonald’s.

SOURCE – (CNN)