Why Life Just Got A Whole Lot Easier For Some Chipotle Workers
Chipotle has put a stop a a menu hack that went viral and was causing its workers serious distress.
This article is more than 2 years old
Chipotle has a solid reputation for non-GMO foods that are not only good for the waistline but delicious. The problem is once you start adding the queso, sour cream, and guacamole, not only are you offsetting the good calorie count but the meal becomes pricey rather quickly. In fact, to offset the rising cost of inflation and supply shortages, Chipotle increased food prices by over 4% this past year. That is an additional thirty to forty cents tacked onto each meal. This is where one frugal Chipotle customer went viral on TikTok with a hack on how to get an inexpensive burrito by choosing the build your taco option instead. This hack left many consumers happy but became a source of frustration for Chipotle workers. Much to the workers’ delight, the company has begun cracking down on this menu hack.
The 46-second TikTok video featuring the menu hack, which had more than 170,000 likes and well over 2.6 million views was a step-by-step guide on using the build your taco option and selecting one taco instead of the three and requesting the topping as sides, and the swap comes at no extra charge. All the various options selected provided everything necessary to build a burrito without paying the full price. The grand total of the viral TikTok Chipotle hack was $3 to $4 less than the cost of an actual burrito, as listed on the menu.
Although the hack was a cost-effective choice for customers, Chipotle employees were fed up with the additional labor required to complete the order. Business Insider reports the fast-casual Mexican restaurant chain finally had enough of the viral hack and is putting a stop to the ordering options that made the hack possible. Chipotle employees are thrilled about the news, as the TikTok viral hack order hack created a complete disaster behind the scenes.
For instance, a Chipotle crew member employed at one of the chain’s New York locations stated the orders were beyond annoying and disruptive because the viral hack would disrupt the flow of the assembly line with as many as eight sides having to be portioned separately into cups and packed up. The employee highlighted that is far more time-consuming than one would think. Chipotle employees also noted how the use of individual plastic cups was a huge waste and not aligned with the chain’s go-green environmentally friendly practices.
A Chipotle manager located in Ohio echoed the same concerns and frustrations regarding the process of completing the virtual hack order. The to-go taco order would reduce the speed of the line and customers waiting in line would be frustrated and upset, even some becoming aggressive about the wait times. Chipotle heard the cries from their members and read the overwhelming increased negative online reviews and put an end to the viral hack ordering process. Chipotle customers are no longer able to order a single taco from the online ordering system. While Chipotle has long embraced the theory of unique customizations, even encouraging such with a release of their very own hack menu, the viral TikTok hack went too far. The end result was a poor experience for the food, the Chipotle employees, and the Chipotle customers waiting in line for orders.
