Chipotle puts an end to ‘hack’ that allowed customers to order $3 of burritos

(NEXSTAR) – It was fun while it lasted, Chipotle fans.

Chipotle confirmed that guests will no longer be able to take advantage of the online “hack” that has gained popularity on social media, as it has led to a “bad experience” for staff and customers at restaurants.

Users who participated in the “hack,” as it was referred to on social media, instructed their followers to use Chipotle’s online ordering platforms to place an order for one taco with all the free toppings on the side, along with the tortillas. by doing this, Many users claimed They can build up to basically a whole burrito (or bowl of burrito) for about $3 and a change.

When ordered the traditional way, burritos generally cost upwards of $9, depending on the proteins and additives, according to Chipotle website.

As I mentioned for the first time before from the inside, Chipotle disabled the online option to order one taco earlier this week.

“Guests are currently unable to order a single taco from our online ordering systems,” Chipotle Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Laurie Shallow said in a statement shared with Nexstar. “While we’ve embraced customizations for a long time and even released our hack list, the current trend of social media is leading to a poor experience for our food, our staff, and our customers waiting for orders.”

Workers at several Chipotle locations across the US told Insider that having to fulfill those orders would slow down the entire restaurant. The item itself also wastes more plastic single-use containers and cups than ordering a traditional burrito.

One manager, from Ohio, even told Insider that customers will get “aggressive” with employees when they’re given the right-sized sides for a taco (instead of the larger sides available in burrito orders), even though they’re technically only entitled to the smaller-size taco.

“It’s been upsetting to everyone,” she said, in part, in a statement to Insider.

Meanwhile, Shallow noted in her statement that Chipotle is not opposed to all social media-based “hacks,” noting three of which Chipotle itself shared on TikTok in 2020. But each of these “hacks” – to demand nachosa taco salad or a Seven layers dip It was intended to help customers create off-menu items, rather than cheaper versions of existing menu items.

Schalow told Chipotle customers who still wanted to order tacos, meanwhile, to do so in person.