Chipotle CEO Commits to Re-Coaching Restaurants on Portion Sizes

Chipotle’s CEO, Brian Niccol, responded to recent criticism about the chain’s portion sizes during an investor call on Wednesday, announcing plans to “retrain” and “re-coach” restaurant operators to ensure consistent and generous portions.

“There was never a directive to provide less to our customers. Generous portion is a core brand equity of Chipotle. It always has been, and it always will be,” Niccol emphasized early in the call.

Complaints about inconsistent or reduced portions have been circulating on social media for months. Even popular TikTok creator Keith Lee, known for his viral review of a Chipotle quesadilla hack, expressed his disappointment in a May post, questioning, “Where’s the chicken?” His video quickly went viral, amplifying customer dissatisfaction.

Other users also took to TikTok, documenting their experiences with what they perceived as smaller portions in their burritos or bowls. This online backlash prompted Niccol to address the issue publicly in May, where he insisted, “portions have not gotten smaller,” and suggested customers could signal to their server if they wanted “a little more rice” or “a little more pico.”

During Wednesday’s earnings call, Niccol acknowledged the inconsistency in portions and announced targeted retraining efforts. He stated that only “about 10% or more” of Chipotle’s 3,500 restaurants needed to be “retrained or re-coached” to meet the company’s standards.

“To be more consistent across all 3,500 restaurants, we have focused in on those with outlier portion scores based on consumer surveys and we are reemphasizing training and coaching around ensuring we are consistently making bowls and burritos correctly,” Niccol explained.

When asked about investing in consumer-targeted messaging regarding portion sizes, Niccol indicated that Chipotle’s efforts will naturally become evident. “Look, I’m already seeing it in social media, people commenting on the burritos, the bowls that they’re getting,” Niccol said. “And, you know, I think that is the best source of marketing, is the word of mouth, as people have these experiences with Chipotle.”

In the quarterly report issued on Wednesday, Chipotle announced an 18.2% increase in total revenue compared to the same quarter in 2023, with an 8.7% increase in transactions and a 2.4% increase in the average amount spent per transaction.