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A trend is going viral online about Chipotle employees trying to get customers to serve extra large portions of food, but does the “phone rule” actually work?
It all started when popular food blogger Keith Lee claimed that Chipotle Mexican Grill was cutting back on portion sizes, sharing a review of his usual burrito bowl as proof. “The portions are incredibly small,” Lee said in a viral TikTok posted earlier this month.
Lee gave viewers a sneak peek at his Chipotle burrito bowl, where he ordered chicken al pastor, before digging around the bowl with his fork to find just four pieces of chicken at the bottom. “You can barely taste it. Everything’s freezing cold. And by freezing cold, I mean like it’s been in the fridge,” Lee told his 16.3 million TikTok followers. “I don’t know if it’s the quality, the seasoning, the time, I don’t know why, but this isn’t right. And the amount of chicken isn’t right.”
In the comments section, several Chipotle customers seemed to agree that they too had noticed a difference in portions compared to the American fast-casual chain.
“It was necessary for Keith Lee to criticize Chipotle’s food quality,” one user commented on the video, while another wrote, “Got to say it! They’re skimping on the meat and the quality isn’t what it used to be!”
After Lee’s Chipotle review went viral, an online campaign was launched to get Chipotle to change food portions. In what’s known as the “phone rule,” several customers have been seen holding their cell phones up to Chipotle staff as they prepare their customized orders. TikTok users say the so-called “phone rule” motivates staff to give customers more food because of the pressure of being filmed.
In one viral video, a customer films a Chipotle employee stuffing her burrito bowl with rice, beans, chicken, salsa, cheese, and guacamole. Another video from TikTok user @luna.escobar_ shows her testing out Chipotle’s so-called “phone rule” to see if her burrito bowl is larger than normal. “It looks pretty full to me,” she said.
As Chipotle’s “phone rule” became a hot topic online, the chain quickly jumped on the trend. Chipotle’s official TikTok account poked fun at the hacking phenomenon by sharing a hilarious video of people holding their phones over food production stations, with the caption “POV, I work at Chipotle right now.”
But Laurie Shallow, the company’s chief corporate affairs and food safety officer, people Chipotle said the “phone rule” is not an official policy. [Chipotle’s] “Amount.”
“Our aim is to deliver an amazing experience every time. Our meals are always fully customizable, allowing guests to select their desired portions out loud or digitally as they choose from a list of physical ingredients,” she added.
Meanwhile, the company Forbes They “did not give instructions” [to employees] “Regarding filming”
Chipotle customers can choose a burrito, burrito bowl, quesadilla, salad, or taco at their stores. Prices for a chicken burrito bowl start at $11.35, while protein-heavy options like chicken al pastor, steak, beef barbacoa, carnitas, or sofritas are more expensive. If you add a protein, Chipotle typically charges between $3.65 and $5.40.
Customers had previously expressed dissatisfaction after the company increased prices for the fourth time in just over two years to “offset inflation.” In the first quarter of 2022, Chipotle reportedly increased prices by 4%, following a hike in June 2021, which the company said was done to offset wage increases for employees. Chipotle also announced a price increase in July 2022, with entrees now priced $1 higher than usual.
But one customer has gone viral after sharing her secret “lifehack” for getting a $2 burrito at Chipotle. In the video, TikTok user Hannah Hutson instructs her followers to order a pinto bean and cheese burrito, which a Chipotle employee will then charge you for as a side order. “It’s literally $1.94, and it’s amazing. Even when I’m on a tight budget, I order this,” she said.
Hutson said she’s been ordering what TikTok users call a “two-point” since she started eating at Chipotle as a child. Two-points and three-points are burritos that consist of only two or three items, with all ingredients other than the protein and guacamole costing one point. Ordering these secret menu items at Chipotle drastically reduces the cost of a standard burrito.
“It’s awkward that they charge me three points and I have to say something,” Hutson said, noting that only one Chipotle employee is hesitant to lower the price of the burrito.
