Chipotle ’s CEO Brian Niccol has been widely mocked for his response to customer complaints that the restaurant’s portion sizes are too small. In a TikTok video posted by Fortune last month, Niccol addressed the online criticism towards Chipotle, specifically the claims that the portions of meat and vegetables being served in bowls have shrunk. However, according to Niccol, those claims aren’t necessarily accurate, as he expressed how customers can signal when they want bigger portions of food.
“First, I can tell you the portions have not gotten smaller. One of the things I think is great about Chipotle is if you come into the restaurant, and you want a little more rice, or you want a little more pico,” he said, gesturing the shrug to the side that customers should do in this situation. He also praised Chipotle’s workers for when they have abided by customer’s subtle requests for more food in their dish.
“And usually our guys, and women, give them a little more scoop,” he said. “We always want to give people big portions that get them excited about food. It’s kind of who we are.
These are big burritos. They’re big bowls.” Niccol once again shared Chipotle’s values, while noting that if customers want extra amounts of meat in their dishes, they have to pay an additional charge.
“Our goal is to give people great experiences,” he said. “Now if you want double the amount of meat, you’ve got to pay for it. But our goal is to get people really ex.