Chipotle: “No, we’re not just another chain.”

Two weeks ago I wrote a post called Chipotle just another chain. Shortly afterwards, a public relations firm representing the burrito chain e-mailed to clear up some things in the post. I still had some questions, though, so I talked to Chipotle spokesperson Chris Arnold.

Arnold told me that burrito sizes haven’t changed and that Chipotle doesn’t videotape its employees to make sure they’re giving out small scoops. “That sounds a little 1984 to me as well,” he said. “We certainly do try to keep everything as consistent as possible but there’s going to be variability. The pouring device is a spoon so there’s always the prospect for human error…. We do in fact have cameras in our stores but they are for security purposes. Not watching the size of burritos.”

Besides, Arnold said, it’s not overly big burritos that the company is worried about, “What impacts our food costs is cooking too much chicken at 9:45 when the restaurant closes at 10 and having to throw it out, or lettuce going bad because too much was ordered. Food inventory not the size of a couple of burritos.”

Arnold then stressed Chipotle’s pledge to sell food with integrity, the company’s philosophy to use as many small-farm, hormone-free animals as possible. “It’s a tall order but we’re up to 60 percent beef, 100 percent of all hogs and chicken and about 30 percent organic on the beans… as we expand we keep the food with integrity approach two ways. One is we’re constantly looking for new suppliers and we’re helping old suppliers to grow.”

That clears up the camera question, plus a little more. Also, here’s the letter Chipotle originally sent me.