Surviving Off Chipotle For 30 Days 

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The fact that their portions are so inconsistent should be a law breaking issue since the nutritional info they advertise is supposed to be accurate for people with health issues. We need WAY more regulation.

You went from someone I'd never heard of to someone I click when I see you've uploaded SHOCKINGLY quickly. Quality speaks for itself. Let's hope Chipotle gets the message

Chipotle manager here, had never seen or heard of your channel but this specific video popped up in my recommended (while at work oddly enough) loved this video and you honestly highlighted issues that many of us are well aware of. Internally what the problem really comes down to is a combination of training and who’s running the specific store. GMs get two bonuses a year based on performance. Included as factors of this bonus is CI (critical inventory) and budget. Critical inventory is whatever costs the store money, proteins, cheese, queso and quac specifically. The better your numbers are and the more you stay within your budget the better your bonus is and there are a lot of GMs who have zero issues with making up numbers or instructing employees to skimp. Training however is definitely the bigger of the two issues. Chipotle training is horrible, everything you learn is from videos on an iPad and in the moment shadowing someone. It gets drilled into your head that a portion of cheese or lettuce is supposed to be a three-finger pinch, but there’s no real material on what other portions should look like, mainly because our spoon method is straight up dumb and is the perfect setup for inconsistency. People are thrown on to the line, shown an eye-balled amount of food on a spoon and are expected to deliver that every time, if they don’t they get reprimanded regardless on if they give too much or too little. I will definitely say that we try to give the more correct portions for online orders but again that inconsistent training makes that an issue. The company is very resistant to change, we are only now, in 2024 getting slicers for our veggies, which is technology that has existed since before the founding of the company. It’s unlikely to change anytime soon especially as stock prices rise and more and more new stores open they will only continue to hire and transfer more and more people with less and less time for proper training as a result.

weighing burritos on camera in a chipotle you've already been to is SOMETHING

Your example is perfect. Ordering a ten piece and only getting seven McNuggets would be insane. It's silly how different the orders were in this video. Well done!

The important take away from this hour of video is the 30 seconds where the employee says "Yeah, we could use some measuring cups." If you want to know about a business, ask the people that actually run it with their hands.

chipotle worker here, one reason for the inconsistent burritos is because different workers have different perceptions of what a standard portion is even though they are all trained on the correct amount, they also have different skill levels at wrapping burritos which can severely influence how much they put on the burrito considering whether or not they are going to be able to easily wrap the burrito or not. difference in bowl portions is a little bit sketchier, in my experience bowls are always given much bigger portion sizes compared to every other item on the menu, often being given so much food that we have to compress the food down into the bowl when putting the lid on. also the difference in chip amounts and weights is quite interesting considering that we are trained to weigh the bags and make sure they are at 4 oz for regular bags and 6 oz for the large chip bags. also i definitely agree that one way to improve the portioning consistency would be to use measuring cups instead of the spoons we currently use.

Hey, GM at Chipotle for 5 years. It's the managers and the training they do and whether their district managers follow up on said training. At some stores, the management cares about making sure the crew has been correctly trained, and at others, the inmates run the asylum and you end up with burnt steak and chicken (no one is using cooking timers) and dirty stores (no one cares about shift change/running sidework). It's not a corporate conspiracy, they sent training materials constantly to stores to show each of them the "Chipotle Way" as they called it. It's store to store, and it devolves into what you saw at store 3 when there's no care given by anyone from the district manager down to the newest employee.

I used to work at Arbys and we have a scale for meat so every sandwhich we make has the exact same amount. Idk why Chipotle can't figure our something similar.

Me, never having been to Chipotle, not living in a country with a Chipotle, still watching this video highly entertained

Me and a couple of friends had a 24 hour roadtrip and got Chipotle across multiple states. Food quality and proportions definitely varied. It seems like to get the best burrito value, order a bowl in person and get a tortilla on the side to wrap it yourself.

This happened to Subway. They were killing it in the 90s and they were pretty universally good. As they expanded, quality and consistency tanked. I still like Subway when its good, but it's such a coin flip that I never go. I love Chipolte when its good, but the trend is very familiar.

former chipotle worker here, NEVER order online. if you want points scan in stores. ALL of the items on the online ordering station are leftovers from when a batch of that item is replaced on the main line. As of recent times I believe steak is the only exception. If we do not have something in store it is simply skipped, almost all the meat is overcooked and/or burnt.

I like how honest this channel feels. No over blown bells and whistles, just a guy saying he’s gonna do a thing and then doing it. A very “just the facts” style of video while also incorporating good storytelling

Love how you made this more of a vlog style with random Ohio spots and activities

I lived in the Youngstown, OH area for 13 years, now reside in the Akron area. It is so refreshing seeing a RU-vidr from an area I recognize. Your Sheetz and Chipotle videos had me screaming in excitement because I KNEW where you were going, lol. May sound weird, but it is so nice seeing someone “local” ish having food or visiting places you recognize. Thank you.

My wife is 4'11" and I am 6'3". She can no longer order food anymore because they will give her micro sizes compared to me. Now I just order both meals and she stands there quietly judging.

Serving sizes aside, their quality plummeted years ago. It used to taste like a burrito somebody made for you fresh at their house, now it tastes like food court Mexican food

Please do more of these 30 day experiments, pretty interesting.

Its telling, to the quality of the video you make, that I don't live in a country with Chipotle. Never been to one, never even been to a country with Chipotle. I not only watched the whole thing; but when I had to stop halfway through, I came back. It was the next day, I just had to know how it ended. Bravo.

I used to eat Chipotle up to three times per week a few years ago. now it's so over-priced and underdelivered (portion wise) that I do not eat there at all anymore. it's a waste of money and time standing in line - because god forbid you doordash and get a quarter of a bowl for $13. it's robbery.

The Sheetz 30 day food challenge was great, excited to see how this Chipotle one turns out.

reading all teh comments by staff im even more grateful for living in CA and being able to go to a narrow burrito place where i get called amiga and leave with an infant sized burrito every time. which is really the larger problem of chains taking over, like walmart. wishing the workers well and that the company can get more consistent.

Dude I love the structure of your videos/documentaries. Honestly some of the best and most thoughtful content I have seen on RU-vid in a while! Great job bro, keep up the dope work man.

My best tip is to simply befriend the staff, I work at a chipotle, and there’s this one guy that whenever he comes in everybody, make sure to give him a free extra scoop whenever he comes in. And it all started because he was super nice.

i work at chipotle and the portions have to do with many factors. many of the cooks do not properly chop up the protein. when it is in bigger chunks, less of it fits on the spoon, leaving a seemingly skimpy portion. measuring cups would the be useless. As a matter of fact, we do have measuring cups, the plastic portion cups that we put guacamole and queso in. Either way, our managers are sometimes on the mobile order line and tell us to give less, much less than 4 ounces, also because the cook is behind or because the employee doesn't call the food(meaning they don't let the cook know they're about to run our or that they need more etc.). the burritos are usually skimped out on because many chipotle employees do not know how to wrap big ass burritos so they simply put less than 4 ounces of things like the corn and hot sauces because then it'll be so soggy it won't close. the solution would just be to implement new management. orientation and all the tutorials on portions and other shit are simply some videos you watch on the work portal. many times you have no videos to watch and you just have to watch your coworkers do things that they don't know how to do themselves. Our manager only corrects us about portions and how we make things when we give too much or when their boss is in town and inspecting the stores. managers also have a lot to do with cleanliness since they are the ones who need to tell the cashier to clean the lobby or the cook to clean the grill.

Worked at Chipotle for 3 years. 2017-2020, when online ordering got kicked up it gets to the point where its better to throw in the right portions because of the amount of orders you would get at a time. They have 15 min cycles where the amount of orders is uncapped. Its terrible, I’m glad I’m not still there lol. This video also made me go and get some Chipotle 😂

Great video not sure if anyone has done a month challenge and got this much info out of it. Seriously this is amazing ! So in depth and straight to the point. Meaning all 55 minutes were quality

Honestly your 9th grade chemistry teacher should be proud. This is the scientific method! You're doing legitimate research. With how meticulous you are about each variable you could have actually written a paper.

fun fact about the dog poster at Raising Cane's. So it's actually the owner's dog, named Raising Cane 3. The owner named his restaurant after his golden retriever, Raising Cane 1 (who sadly him as well as Raising Cane 2 passed) and the dogs have been the mascot of the store since the founding. How do I know about this? Well, I worked at a Cane's for a few years before quitting.

I love this guy and I love his channel. It is refreshing to see good content on RU-vid today for real. I hope he keeps going and going.One of my favorite rising channels

The Old School RuneScape music in the background is a phenomenal touch. 10/10.

I found your channel off the problem with RU-vid ads video I am really glad I stuck around your video quality and concepts are top tier and your personality is really inviting to the viewer. You and your channel have immense potential

Lived with a chipotle employee for a bit. He mentioned that even though yes there was incentivr to give smaller portions from management due to bottom line, he said the biggest reason for small portions was that the employee likely doesnt want to replace the tray when it gets empty. So if you see a tray with a smaller amount in it youre going to get less than if it were a brand new tray that was filled to the brim. So if you really want bang for your buck, wait and order when you see a new tray being brought in

Dude. I dunno who you are, but RU-vid guided me here and I'm now done with your 55minute- 27second assessment of your story and findings. Absolutely wonderful. Subscribed for the foreseeable future.

i remember going to my local failing mall to hang out when there was only 5-6 stores still open, completely empty. i was even able to skateboard there for 20 minutes before being stopped, it is a surreal experience to see a place you used to go with your grandparents to every weekend, and it would be popping, to a ghost town. thanks, amazon. no really, thank you, you've made everything better.

fun fact with online orders, in the fast food industry we are told to give less lmao

There's no way you're verified! I remember when you only had a few thousand subscribers and I thought to myself, " This content is too good for this guy not to be wildly popular." and now here you are! Amazing job my man!

The dedication you have the integrity and your scientific way of thinking is truly admirable amd definitely deserve a sub and like keep up the good work

I think the wrapping has gotten worse bc bowls seem to have overwhelmingly taken over at Chipotle. Every time I have been in there it's mostly all bowls.

The crazy part is. If the employees fuck up the portions they’ll literally be at risk of termination it’s wicked. Food theory got me straight😭😭😭

Next upload: I didn't eat for 30 days Edit: Mom i’m famous!!!

This video unlocked a memory for me! My grandmother lived in Niles and for one year, my family actually moved in with her. Seeing the McKinley statue reminded me of the time I spent at the attached library for a summer reading program. I had to have been 4th grade I think? Either way, great video, great presentation. Keep up the great work!

Really well made video. Glad to see your channel growing

Not since Upton Sinclair wrote "The Jungle" has someone done so much for the food industry. Also, the runescape music slaps per usual, Zack!

Perfect timing since I guess your Sheetz vid is getting lots of love from the algorithm. I finished that one yesterday and to have this new one immediately the next day is awesome. Also, I appreciate you sharing some of your hobbies and social activities with friends etc in these vids (as well as even dates in the last one) and just the random fun you have alone. It adds personality and relatability, not to mention it feels more well rounded + diversified than a lot of other similar vids I've watched. I get bored easily and it just doesn't happen with your content.

I know you’re humble and all but let’s just stop a moment and appreciate your incredible transformation! 39:09 got your education and you’re taking such great care of yourself. Your work ethic and character of course are going to take your channel to a million subs and beyond; inspirational.

The best comparison I’ve heard is that Chipotle is the new Subway. First it was our healthy alternative and once it peaked the quality just started going downhill. The only thing they are missing is a spokesperson scandal.

Hear me out… “I ate 40 pizzas in 30 days”

why are his videos so... perfect ? idk man but the editing and everything makes me feel like theres no filler and its entertaining. This and the sheetz video are Breaking Bad quality to me, entertainment wise.

Glad to see you're still kicking (watched your Sheetz 30-day challenge) and did a challenge for Chipotle! I've noticed inconsistencies between two Chips I frequent with portions and quality, especially with online orders (between a college town and a big city), and had no clue of these conspiracies until now. Can't wait to see what you do next--have a lit day!

Psychologically speaking it def makes sense that your orders would be bigger on average in person. They literally have you staring then down as they prepare your meal, so most people would feel some level of pressure to please the customer for any number of reasons. An online order isn’t being scrutinized in real-time.

Day 3.5 trying to weigh the food in the wind was one of the funniest random bits of this video

As an ex-chipotle worker here’s my position on what it’s like. (I worked at two different locations in two different states. One was independently owned the other was “corporate owned”) I can say that there is a reason the portion sizes are inconsistent. We’re very understaffed, the cooks are overworked (there are supposed to be 2-3 at all times, but we usually only had 1) and we only have a limited amount of cold stuff. It’s also up to the ones making your bowls to get them from halfway across the store. Some stores have little freezers under the cold side, but not all of them. For the DML (online ordering) we’re put on a timer and the amount of time we get for orders is inconsistent, we can get anywhere from 30-5 minutes for an order of any size (the biggest I had to make was about 11 entrees and 11 sides in like 6-7 ish minutes) And we are always told to not use up all of the ingredients so that the front line is always stocked up. So yeah, don’t order online that’s a big gamble. And some employees are trained on how to properly portion and some are not. At the independently owned one, I was told to pray and do what feels right. Corporate was strict and also vague-ish, they told us (I was DML) one spoonful of protein, two spoonfuls of rice, and a spoonful of beans. If you ask for extra we’re told to do half a spoonful. Also it gets HOT behind the counter, and depending on how busy it is you may not get a sip of water for 2-3 hours. So fatigue is a big thing (I was sent home multiple times because it got so bad for me) And managers are ON YOUR ASS about clean counters. Which, yeah makes sense but they always did it at the most inconvenient times, we would have lines out the door and a GM would scold us for having food on the counter. They never did shit about it, and when the line disappears you better not get water or go to the bathroom until it is pristine and the floor is sweeped. Overall, working at chipotle is stressful and physically demanding especially if you’re a cook or DML person. Front line isn’t too bad, but definitely not easy. And prep/dish is the BEST but they never have people in those positions and just expect the DML/ closers to do it. Also don’t get the chips unless you can see an employee making some in the back. We would hold some chips for up to 3 days at a time, and they only had us make more once we were completely out of premade chips. (Also yeah, they are made in house, just in very big batches) Also, I never was told to make bowls better for “influencers” but I was told to make “perfect” bowls whenever we got orders under a specific name (usually corporate employees or the manager above GM) Note: I actually really liked working at chipotle, mainly because the locations I worked at were very predictable and I worked closing shifts mainly on weekends. (I’m autistic, so while I did have my problems with the physicality, the pros for me made it worth it)

came here from shane’s video

Something about how you film is very easy to watch. I just watched this and your Sheetz challenge back to back, and want more. Nice work!

When I worked at Chipotle about a decade ago (18), we had bigger spoons and did "tap serve" where we made sure the spoons were empty before scooping blah blah blah. Never had a complaint there for serving size.

A couple years ago they made it so that you could only order a quesadilla online. I didn’t know that until I walked in, tried to order one, and was told I’d have to order online. I just got in my car and went to Moe’s. I haven’t gone to a chipotle since.

Watched Shane’s video- saw your comment and clicked the shared link. Turns out you live exactly where I live. I was not expecting that today 😂

My experience with Chipotle recently, the good times don't outweigh the absolutely disappointing times. I'll just go somewhere where my order is consistent in person

i work at a chipotle and iv had to literally tell my coworkers to put more food into online orders multiple times. theres a lot of issues especially with managers stopping people from doing just whatever they want.

Of the last 5 times I got so upset I almost had a public melt down, 4 of them were at a Chipotle.

great videos man, I love the analysis at the end, honestly very professional and scientific/educational

you deserve SO many more subs!! i became hooked after your sheetz video!!

i was legitimately just discussing chiptole with a coworker a few days ago. I was telling her that i dont like our local location and know that if im craving it, i have to drive 20 minutes to another town to get something that tastes right. great video!

I used to eat chipotle three times a week after the gym when i was younger and healthy. Loved it. The quality and consistency has DROPPED. Like so much. I never go there anymore.

RU-vid started autoplaying this and I wasn't disappointed at all! Great video!

Very happy this is turning into a series because they're a fantastic watch

Your findings at the end were pretty substantial. I've always assumed burritos were less food than bowls because they had to be wrapped, but it seems like it's just up to preference. I wonder what the measurements would be like if you did get extra beans and rice, which at least at the locations around me, is no additional charge. It seems like if you get extras then even with an online order your bowl is pretty packed. Glad you tested this out, so that we all know the main moral of the story, which is order in person, and always go to the best rated chipotle you can access

That mall seems great for liminal space photography, especially that portion which reminded you of the backrooms.

This took me 3 days to get through and I loved every minute of it.

Amazing content! Well thought out video, amazing narrating, great videography and an awesome conclusion. I subscribed!!! ❤

I really love the way you just give glimpses into your life. It's good to see someone genuinely engaging with their community and I think more people should do that

It’s always nice to see these lesser known, but great, channels posting entertaining and consistent videos.

Outstanding video yet again. Love the 30 day challenges.

Car wash (that no one needed to know about) write off ✅ Fuel up (that no one needed to know about) write off ✅ Admission to a museum (that no one wanted to see) write off ✅ *skips to data*

“i never realized that politicians cared about consumers” got a real good laugh out of me

New chapter on the 30-day-food lore dropped. 🙏🏼🙏🏼 Let's gooooo

This was my first exposure to your videos. Great job, really enjoyed it! I’m subbed!

Zach, I absolutely loved your Review Brah Easter Egg. Great video! I am happy to subscribe.

ZACKARY SMIGEL UPLOAD??? best day ever

As a person from Texas, looking at you eat Chipotle outside in the snow for us looked like a beautiful sacrifice. Lol Thank you for your service!

World class documentary and journalism with flair and a bit of funk !

My husband was a gm at chipotle, they let him go after a “random backround check” that they had already preformed 4 times prior. But it was only this time it was an issue, right before he was about to make 250k a year salary. And was working there for over 5 years with no call outs, no missed time, and after working with 10k a night in cash (not even counting credit card orders)

Loving the OSRS Music in these videos as well as the content, of course!

The Runscape Music is top tier i swear

Love the vids, and the energy. Keep the work up!!!!!

When you were about to hit the Chipotlane, I knew exactly what was about to happen XD. They skimp so hard for some reason on that. I think it's because they have a separate burrito making line dedicated to it and they don't want to refill it as often or make double food because they would have split it between the front of house. Maybe managers are limiting to try and not waste as much.

That chipotle employee you interviewed on campus has such a nice voice. He should be on youtube.

excited for the vid ! watched your sheetz one and loved it, you deserve way more support !

Upvote for the amount of work you've put into this!

when i worked at chipotle they were super strict on us about portion sizes and would often test us to see if we could serve the correct portions. the thing i always thought was ridiculous about it is the fact that we served food using a big flat spoon and were expected to have good control with that. if they just switched to a measuring cup with a fill line it would be so much more consistent and so much less strenuous on the employees.

never known anyone to unwrap the entire burrito before first bite but i respect it

I saw your comment on Shane’s video and I clicked on your video. I’m so glad that I did. Your video style is great. Great idea to go to different locations.

Loved the video. Would love to see more vids like this

My Personal take: If Chipotle were to find some automated system to perfectly portion out each order, they wouldn't receive much attention for the inconsistencies. I believe the inconsistencies might be their competitive advantage over other restaurants. The thrill that you may get a slightly over-proportioned meal than you can expect could be the unconscious decision driving a sale. Update, just finished the video and I acknowledge that he did address this. This was simply my take at the start of the video.

I worked at Chipotle in Clearwater Florida 14 years ago, that style of store for your first visit was first implemented at my store, it was built from the ground up and they called it their new modern industrial style. We were the first to test this out and it was a huge hit back then, we were busy from open to close everyday, guests loved the look back then.

At one point in my life, I had chipotle everyday for ~3 years. Was in best shape of my life, and it never got old, but todays prices/portions I hardly ever go anymore

Appreciation for the nostalgia this video's music brought me. Nice video!