A frequent Chipotle customer says she was relieved when a worker refilled the white rice after she stood in line for 10 minutes after work. However, she can’t believe the worker’s response when she asks for a scoop.
In a video with over 14,000 views, Michigan-based TikToker Sari (@sarkrip) says she got to Chipotle at 8 p.m. With only two people ahead of her in line, she hopes she’ll be able to order soon.
Unfortunately, it takes her nearly 10 minutes to get to the front.
“I saw that the white rice was almost out. But they had just refilled the mobile order rice,” she says. At many Chipotle locations, workers split ingredients into two stations: one for in-person customers and one for mobile orders. This speeds up the process for both groups of customers.
Sari gets to the front of the line and asks for a scoop of white rice. The Chipotle worker’s curt response shocks her.
Why did the Chipotle worker refuse to give her white rice?
The worker informs Sari that they are “out” of white rice, despite a fresh batch being refilled for the mobile orders.
“I was like, ‘Well, they just refilled the mobile order one.’ So she goes over there and the guy doing the mobile orders is like, ‘No, this is for mobile orders only,'” the TikToker recounts.
Sari asks the worker again if they can make an exception to give her a scoop of white rice since she waited in person. They say they can’t.
“He was like, ‘You would have to place a mobile order to get it,'” she says. “You’re telling me even though I’m in the store, I would have to go on my phone, place a mobile order where I have to wait 15 minutes to access white rice?”
Sari laments that she frequents Chipotle but is disappointed by her most recent experience. The caption reads, “I’m pissed and hangry. But also, if this is what makes me most angry, I’m okay with that.”
What did other customers think?
On the subreddit r/Chipotle, other customers suggest that the mobile-exclusive ingredients have caused problems when ordering in person for several years. Chipotle workers explain why the casual restaurant chain prioritizes mobile order ingredients.
“Basically, we can’t disable ingredients for online. So these people are paying, thinking there’s an unlimited supply. Since they have prepaid, they have to be our priority for any limited ingredients over the people in line who have the option to go somewhere else,” one explains.
“With online orders, the customer has already paid for the items. At my location, if something is running low, we will reserve those items for online orders because those customers have already paid for it,” another says. “We can’t unfortunately tell online customers what we are out of, so we reserve the low stock items for them.”
In the comments of Sari’s TikTok, other customers come to her defense, questioning why the workers couldn’t make an exception.
“No we’ve completely lost the plot here this is insane,” one writes.
“Nah I’m the kind of petty that would place the mobile order while making direct eye contact with them as much as possible and then stand there waiting for my order. I got time tonight,” another jokes.
“Something wrong with that employee/store. I feel like I’ve seen employees go to the opposite station to get the ingredient in those situations. There was an employee just power tripping and being a twat,” a third says.
@sarkrip @Chipotle I’m pissed and hangry #chipotle #hangry ♬ original sound – Sari
The Mary Sue reached out to Sari via TikTok direct message and to Chipotle via email for further comment.
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