My Family Was a Huge Chipotle Fan, But These 6 Changes Ruined It For Us

For many years, my family basically called Chipotle our second home. We went there almost every weekend, and we always ordered something different. However, over the last several years, the restaurant has been in the news more often than they'd probably like. Recent news about disease outbreaks and low employee morale have made it so that my standing as a Chipotle fan has greatly diminished.

The restaurant has also made many changes over the years, and many of them don't sit well with me or my family. Some of the changes have to do with portion sizes and prices, while others are related to the health aspect of their food. Chipotle has also made some changes when it comes to its employees, making it a place where I would not want my kids to work. Here's a list of six aspects of Chipotle that may change your mind about visiting the restaurant chain in the future.

Back when I was a young Chipotle fan, I went there because they offered huge portion sizes. I could ask for a burrito bowl and feel like I'd be full for a month. However, that seems to be changing over time. In an effort to save money, it appears that Chipotle's leadership is instructing employees to provide smaller portions. At best, the portions are highly varied so that you never know what you're going to get. Don't believe me? Just look at the facts...

A few years ago, it became a TikTok trend to call out when Chipotle was giving smaller portion sizes. The company ignored the negative publicity for a while until a guy named Zachary Fadem decided to put them to the test. He went to eight different Chipotle restaurants and ordered a total of 75 burrito bowls. When he compared them all, it was clear that the contents were varied, some as much as 33%. After those results were made public, the CEO looked into the issue and confirmed the shortages. He vowed that all employees would be properly trained and that equal portions would be provided. But were they?

If you haven't felt it yet, you will soon. The prices at Chipotle are going to increase. Much of the reason is related to the employees. Whether it's because the company wants to attract more workers or because of minimum wage increases across the nation, they are paying employees more than ever before. However, unlike many other companies that shift funds across their organization to increase wages, Chipotle is getting that money for its employees by charging you more to eat there.

You may be a Chipotle fan now, but you may not be for long. Especially if you live in places like California. Wages there are increasing by as much as 20% in many places. As a result, Chipotle raised prices on menu items by 6-7%. That seems like a small number, but it can quickly add up, and you may decide to go elsewhere. Hopefully, the price hikes will end here.

This one is not a change that Chipotle likely did on purpose, but the restaurant has a problem with attracting disease, rats, and other unsavory conditions that make it hard to choose them and not a competitor. Let's start with the disease. Throughout the years 2015-2018, the company had been linked to various food-borne illnesses, including E. coli, Norovirus, and Salmonella. Apparently, the diseases affected more than 1,000 people. At one point, the Justice Department was even involved. It's hoped that the chain has some control over this issue, but anything is possible.

Disease is one thing, but when you also add rats to the equation, you know you're in trouble. Back in 2020, a Chipotle restaurant in New York found that there was a major rat infestation. It was so bad that the rats chewed through computer wires, making it impossible for the restaurant to take orders. Granted, that was one occasion, but if Chipotle has not yetmade the appropriate changes, then it could happen again.

I was a big Chipotle fan until I started to pay attention to the news. I began to learn that the company wasn't so nice to employees all of the time. One instance occurred in New York, where it was discovered that the company was causing havoc with employee shifts by making last-minute changes, making people work long hours, and violating regulations for sick pay. They were providing less sick pay than what the state required, and as a result, they were sued. However, that wasn't all...

Chipotle has dealt with many other different labor issues over the years. Back in 2022, workers at a Chipotle location in Lansing became the first to unionize. After that, Chipotle denied them a raise because they said they didn't qualify due to being a union. The company has also had some questionable hiring practices over the years, including hiring and firing mass amounts of illegal workers, and there have also been cases where they've wrongfully terminated employees. It's a lot to soak in, and it may turn you off from the restaurants.

Another recent change that was announced at Chipotle is that they plan to start using AI and robots to prepare some of their food. Specifically, they're developing two new robots, which they call Chippy and Autocado. The Autocado robot is used to cut and peel avocados. Meanwhile, Chippy is being used for procuring tortilla chips. The robots are being tested in California restaurants, and if they're successful, they'll be rolled out to other restaurants.

If you're a Chipotle fan but you also like the human touch when you order your food, then you may be turned off. It's one thing to be efficient with AI, but there's the potential for it to get out of hand. At some point, the workforce could be replaced by robots. Chipotle has already had issues with following employment guidelines. Replacing employees could be the straw that breaks the camel's back for the organization.

Chipotle is changing a lot of things. However, one aspect of the business that it still needs to work on updating is the healthiness of its food. While there are some healthy options, many of their offerings are loaded with fat, calories, and salt. For instance, their carnitas burrito has over 900 calories, close to 50 grams of fat, and 94 grams of carbs. This is just one of the meals of which you should beware.

Although the ingredients may seem light and fresh, you should look at the nutritional information before ordering at Chipotle. The carnitas bowl is also loaded with calories. Especially if you add on cheese, sour cream, and guacamole, so be careful. You should also be cautious when ordering chips, as even a small portion can contain 420 mg of sodium. To put that into comparison, medical experts recommend you only have 2,300 milligrams of sodium in an entire day, so eat carefully.