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Chipotle Mexican Grill cracks down on viral $3 burrito hackChipotle Mexican Grill cracks down on viral $3 burrito hack

The fast-casual chain has disabled taco ordering on its mobile app, which was allowing fans to place orders in the size of burritos for $3

Holly Petre, Assistant Digital Editor

September 9, 2022

1 Min Read
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Chipotle Mexican Grill on Wednesday disabled taco ordering on all digital channels to combat a recent TikTok trend. Customers can still order a single taco in the restaurant.

In this TikTok hack, customers would order a $3 single taco with all the fixin’s on the side, then also order a tortilla on the side for 40 cents, thus saving on a traditional $9-$10 burrito. Chipotle increased menu prices by 4% last month, after raising them 8.5% in 2021 and 10.5% in the first quarter of 2022.

“Guests are currently unable to order a single taco from our online ordering systems,” chief corporate affairs officer Laurie Schalow said in a statement. “While we have long embraced customizations and even released our own hack menu, the current social media trend is resulting in a poor experience for our food, our employees and our customers waiting for orders.”

This isn’t the first instance of TikTok enabling a menu “hack” for food, though it is one of the only ones out there with the intention of saving consumers money. In January, McDonald’s even joined in on the fun and made an entire line of limited-time offers out of fan-made menu hacks inspired by TikTok.

 

 

About the Author

Holly Petre

Assistant Digital Editor

Holly Petre is a digital editor for Nation’s Restaurant News as well as the host of NRN’s podcast, Extra Serving, and producer for Informa Restaurant and Food Group’s other three podcasts, One On One by Food Management, Off the Shelf with SN and In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn. Holly holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Sculpture, fibers and Material Studies and Ceramics from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. A native New Yorker, Holly enjoys her place on staff as the resident pop-culture expert and millennial with a sassy attitude and great sense of style.

Holly Petre’s work on Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality often covers marketing and trends, either aimed-at or examined-through the millennial mindset. Holly is responsible for introducing TikTok and Twitch to NRN and RH readers as well as explaining terms like “Karen” to staff and readers alike. She also spends her time on staff trying not to make every headline a pun.

Holly Petre hasn’t spoken at any events or on panels, but she is readily available with a killer shoe wardrobe and several witty quips.

 

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