Chipotle Insists They Have Not Changed Their Portion Sizes Despite TikTok Complaints (Exclusive)
Customers have been wondering if Chipotle has been reducing portion sizes, but the fast-casual chain told PEOPLE that they remain the same
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A stock photo of a chicken burrito with black beans, roasted peppers, and cilantroChipotle is standing by their portion sizes amid claims on TikTok that the fast-casual chain has been cutting back on the amount of food it dolls out to customer.
In a statement to PEOPLE, Laurie Schalow — chief corporate affairs and food safety officer at Chipotle — said that "there have been no changes in [the company's] portion sizes."
She also noted that customers can, and have always been able to, request extra or less food while building their meal.
"Our intentions are to provide a great experience every time, and our meals have always been completely customizable so guests can vocalize or digitally select their desired portions when choosing from the list of real ingredients," she said.
The complaints against Chipotle really bubbled up when TikTok star and food critic Keith Lee posted about his own experience at the food chain on May 2.
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Stock photo of a chicken food bowlRelated: Chipotle Introduces Autocado, a Robot That Makes Guacamole
Lee — who is best known on TikTok for his honest food reviews, and has helped both local businesses and large food chains go viral online — is not only a long-time Chipotle fan himself, but was also behind the 2022 viral Fajita Quesadilla Hack along with fellow TikTok fast food reviewer Alexis Frost. The hack became so popular that in 2023, Chipotle ended up making the "Fajita Quesadilla Hack" an official menu item online.
"I never could have imagined that I'd have my own menu item at Chipotle," Lee said in the press release on the new item. "I'm blessed to be able to work with Alexis and Chipotle to answer the call from the TikTok community.”
In his updated TikTok review, Lee said that he “used to love Chipotle,” but in his opinion, the food does “not hit the same” as it used to.
He specifically reviewed three of his “go-to” items including a steak quesadilla, a chicken al pastor bowl, and crispy tortilla chicken tacos. Lee ended up rating both the chicken bowl and quesadilla with low scores over the cold food and the small portions of chicken he received in his bowl.
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Stock photo of a Mexican beef saladAfter Lee’s review, other TikTok users began their own campaign to get Chipotle to change their portion sizes by “review bombing” the eatery's app. They even recorded themselves walking out of the store mid-order when receiving smaller portions, which has turned into a recurring trend.
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Since this movement to push back on Chipotle’s portion sizes began, some TikTok users have shared that they do notice bigger portion sizes with their recent orders.
Alleged Chipotle employees are also claiming that their managers are now instructing them to “fill up anyone’s bowls if they had a phone.” Schalow confirmed with PEOPLE that "we have reinforced proper portioning with our employees.”
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