Chipotle CEO says company will ‘re-coach’ restaurants on proper portion sizes

(NEXSTAR) – Chipotle’s CEO addressed recent criticism over the chain’s portion sizes on a call with investors Wednesday, announcing plans to “retrain” and “re-coach” restaurant operators who may be skimping out.

“[T]here 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,” Brian Niccol, the chairman and CEO of Chipotle, said within the first few minutes of the call.

Niccol’s remarks come months after social media users began complaining of decreased or inconsistent portion sizes at their local Chipotle restaurants. Even TikTok creator Keith Lee — widely known for his viral review of a quesadilla hack that landed on the Chipotle menu — expressed dissatisfaction with his order in a post he shared in May.

“Where’s the chicken?” he said in a TikTok video that has since gone viral.

Other users started recording themselves ordering their burritos or bowls, attempting to document what they perceived to be smaller portions.

The online backlash forced Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol to address the issue publicly in a May interview with Fortune, saying that “portions have not gotten smaller.” He also suggested that customers can simply give their server a look — which he demonstrated — if they want “a little more rice” or “a little more pico.”

On Wednesday’s earnings call — which also came a few weeks after a Wells Fargo analyst reported significantly inconsistent burrito and bowl sizes at New York City locations — Niccol seemed more willing to admit that portions were indeed inconsistent. He claimed, however, that only “about 10% or more” of the chain’s restaurants needed to be “retrained or re-coached” to Chipotle’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 said.

When asked whether Chipotle would be investing in any consumer-targeted messaging to relay the company’s plans for portion sizing, Niccol indicated that Chipotle’s efforts will speak for themselves.

“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 an accompanying quarterly report issued Wednesday, Chipotle reported an 18.2% increase in total revenue compared to the same quarter in 2023. The company further reported an increase in transactions (8.7%) and an increase in the average amount spent per transaction (2.4%)