Chipotle CEO Says Customers Should Ask For More Food

2 min read

Key Points

Chipotle CEO Scott Boatwright said customers should ask for more food if they want a larger portion.He insisted the chain still serves generous bowls and burritos and said team members will not say no.Many customers online responded with skepticism, saying smaller portions and possible upcharges are the real issue.

Chipotle used to feel like such a deal. These days, though, a lot of people feel like the bowls are getting smaller, the totals are getting bigger, and asking for more sounds slightly less casual when guac already costs what it costs.

So when Chipotle CEO Scott Boatwright recently said customers should simply ask for a little extra if they want more food, the internet didn’t exactly greet that advice with open arms. In a conversation with Yahoo Finance, Boatwright said team members would be happy to add more food if customers asked. He also insisted that abundance is still central to the brand and that Chipotle is serving “big, beautiful bowls and burritos.”

“If you want more, you should ask for a little more,” Boatwright said. “I promise you, there’s never a team member on that line that is going to say no to you.”

He also said he tells his team to put as much food in bowls and burritos as possible, and argued that Chipotle remains focused on value even as inflation continues to hit the restaurant industry.

That all sounds nice in theory. In practice, many customers seem to feel like we have drifted pretty far from the era of overstuffed Chipotle bowls that could accidentally become two meals. There’s been ongoing portion problems with the chain for the last few years, including customers spending months vocalizing that scoops look stingier and that online orders feel especially bleak. That broader frustration is a big reason Boatwright’s comments aren’t landing like he likely expected, and people on social media were quick to call the whole thing out.

“Save this video every time you walk in,” one person wrote. “Straight lies they will 100% charge you double each time you say more 😂,” said another. “Bro have you been to Chipotle,” one commenter asked, while another said the interview made them “audibly laugh.”

Others zeroed in on the fine print they assumed was lurking behind the promise. “He never said they wouldn’t charge you more lol,” one person pointed out. Another added, “Of course they won’t say no, they’ll just add it to your bill, with someone else saying their bowls and burritos are always small… even worse if you mobile order.”

Let’s all remember this isn’t the first time a Chipotle executive has tried to reassure customers on portions. Former CEO Brian Niccol made similar comments in 2024, but that did little to quiet the complaints—and clearly Boatwright’s remarks don’t seem to be landing much differently.