1. Forums
  2. Mystery Shopping Discussion

Chipotle bowl weight shops

May 11, 2026 04:24AM
A few days ago a number of Chipotle shops popped up in my city on the Five Guys MSC. There are a bunch but they are concentrated here in the city and don't really extend out to the 'burbs. There's another similar cluster in another city about an hour from here, but again nothing out of the immediate urban area.

The shop requires an online purchase of a burrito bowl (any protein and non-premium toppings) and then another in-person purchase of a bowl with the exact same ingredients. When you get home you have to weight both bowls and see if there's any difference. There are also required photos if there are any cleanliness issues etc in the store. Both purchases also have to include a drink and chips/guac. There's no base pay and the reimbursement is $40, which for me covered all the required purchases.

I did one as I was driving by the location. Tomorrow I have a parking shop near another one that is on the board, but since I now have enough food for quite a few meals I'm probably going to skip that one -- especially as I'm also doing a sit-down Mexican restaurant shop while I'm parked! Most of the ones left on the board are in areas without easy or free parking, and since this MSC no longer covers parking I'm in no hurry to sign up for one of the other locations unless a fee gets added.
Reply
Log In
x

Create an Account or Log In

Membership is free. Simply choose your username, type in your email address, and choose a password. You immediately get full access to the forum.

Already a member? Log In.

May 11, 2026 10:46AM
I saw these over the weekend too. I did two yesterday, one for lunch and one for dinner. They were at locations that were each about a 10 minute drive from my home that had parking lots. I found the report to be even easier than five guys (as long as you already have a digital scale, which we do). Mainly just uploading the various photos. I had my son home from college, who loves chipotle, in addition to my partner, so we all filled up on a bunch of chipotle yesterday and still have leftovers for today. Two is the current rotation limit, as after I did two, they disappeared from the board for me. But my friend, who also shops for the msc, still sees plenty on the board. I hope they continue. There was a big difference in weight between the online order and the in person order.
Reply
May 11, 2026 02:02PM
Yeah, there are seven left -- and they're all dinner shops, so it's interesting that you scored a lunch one.

The report certainly wasn't hard, but they did require the measurement in ounces and my scale only has a setting for pounds plus ounces if it is above one pound (which both bowls were). I just converted it into ounces for the survey, but hopefully that won't caused any issue with the report being accepted. I'm going to wait until it gets approved before attempting a second one.
Reply
May 11, 2026 06:32PM
I received the mass email this morning and I didn't see it listed.. I also went to the website and it was not listed either

Either someone picked it up or they are not shopped in my area... I also checked the website yesterday and it was not listed either

So I guess it is certain ones
Reply
May 11, 2026 06:40PM
They are nowhere near me either, I went looking after I saw this post. Zoomed out quite a bit and saw nothing. Come to me please!
Reply
May 12, 2026 01:52AM
I stopped going to any of their locations years ago - they are notorious for lack of food safety - so many reported cases and lawsuits. Even class actions you can join, still ongoing I think, not sure.
I know, I know, it's probably just me who is skeeved similar to the lunch meat fiasco.
I know, I know, who knows what the other places do as well in this regard....we don't know for sure, only the ones that get reported. So once the reports come out, I just can't unsee them.
The company has been under the gun for reports they are reducing portion size - least of my worries lol
CEO denies it but looks like a case of trust but verify LOL.

Life was passing like a hand waving from a train I wanted to be on
Reply
May 12, 2026 05:48AM
Dang, I've never seen the people working weigh the food, so they'd have to be really good at guessing. When I worked in fast food ssometimes we had to weigh the tacos and I always felt they were so stingy!
Reply
May 12, 2026 06:17PM
A follow-up: My report with the scale photos showing pounds and ounces which I translated into total ounces in the survey was accepted. There are a bunch left (including some other suburban locations I hadn't noticed before) and the fee has gone from zero to $5 or "make an offer." I got so much Chipotle from my first shop that I'm not super eager to do another round unless there's a cash incentive, so I made an offer which I suspect the MSC will quickly refuse!
Reply
May 12, 2026 09:47PM
So my very high offer got accepted for one location, and then promptly rejected for the two that are left! It's on a day where I'm going into a part-time job I have in a small home office, so I'm going to see if either my boss or the other co-worker want one of the bowls for their lunch.
Reply
May 13, 2026 05:43AM
I saw something about this a few days ago.. I honestly didn't pay that much attention. I have a few small scales, I use them to weigh food for the dogs. Most of them need new batteries.. I already carry an instant read thermometer in my car, I'm not going to start carrying a diet scale too.
Reply
May 13, 2026 02:16PM
Has anybody seen these posted in the NYC tri state area? If not am wondering if maybe it's just a regional shop.
Reply
May 13, 2026 02:55PM
@Arch Stanton wrote:

Has anybody seen these posted in the NYC tri state area? If not am wondering if maybe it's just a regional shop.

I have not and I have been looking since they mentioned it.
Reply
May 13, 2026 08:49PM
Since one order is online pick-up and the other is to-go I just measured the bowls at home. I guess you'd only need one in the car if you were out for the day and wanted to eat the food before you got home.

But, as it happens, today I was doing the airport I shop and I noticed they had a digital scale at the headphones/electronics store. It was marketed for flyers who need to weight their luggage to see if it is under the airline weight limits, but I'll use it on Friday to weigh my Chipotle when I get to work. Plus it actually gave me something to purchase that was under the reimbursement amount, which is quite a challenge at that store.

@Morledzep wrote:

I saw something about this a few days ago.. I honestly didn't pay that much attention. I have a few small scales, I use them to weigh food for the dogs. Most of them need new batteries.. I already carry an instant read thermometer in my car, I'm not going to start carrying a diet scale too.


Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/13/2026 08:49PM by NinS.
Reply
May 14, 2026 06:16AM
Nins,

That is a unique solution. I like it.

The problem I have is that I live far away from anywhere there are shops to do. I live in farm country, 30 - 40 minutes from all but a couple gas stations that I do shops at. I'm very rural, and we don't leave the house for just one or 3 shops, we leave for the day and make as much money as we can while we're out. And yes, we go out together, because taking 2 cars costs more money than we can afford to waste. So the only way this works is if I have all of the tools for the job with me.

Ya'all have fun weighing your Chipotle bowls.
Reply
May 15, 2026 04:59PM
I've seen a couple of shops on the magic app ask for the same order to be done twice. Comparing different methods of ordering?

Chipotle CEO also just made a ruckus about basically saying "tell the employees you want more if you think it needs more."
Reply
May 16, 2026 12:33AM
Well I did one today and when I got home I noticed that the receipt just said chips. Even though I had an ordered and received a side of chips and guacamole as required, the cashier just rung me up for a side of chips. I explained this in my report. I hope it still gets accepted.
Reply
May 17, 2026 07:34PM
Well, that attempt to use the scale I bought at the airport was a bust because it turned out it's a scale that is used by strapping it to the luggage and picking it up. I'd never even heard of such a thing! Luckily we had another regular scale at work I could use. Annoyingly the online pickup order gave me someone else's bowl, so my vegetarian co-worker missed out on what he thought was going to be a sofritos lunch -- it had chicken instead, so his wife got it. The report was still approved even though the two bowls did not have the same ingredients due to the restaurant's error. Also, at both of my shops they forgot to give me the drink cups in the online order, and in both locations I got some attitude and distrust when I asked for it. Hopefully the client is learning a lot from these visits and will roll them out in more locations.
Reply
May 17, 2026 09:19PM
Sounds like a fish scale.. you hook it to the fish and weigh it by hanging.
Reply
May 17, 2026 10:52PM
Just signed up for a shop, but noticed that you have to add beans to the bowl! If there is a food sensitivity to beans, is there any way to skip this ingredient, or is it likely mandatory? Wondering if I should cancel....
Reply
May 18, 2026 12:05AM
I'd write to the Help Desk and ask. It's always annoying how this MSC won't show such requirements before the shop is assigned.

@jewel1233 wrote:

Just signed up for a shop, but noticed that you have to add beans to the bowl! If there is a food sensitivity to beans, is there any way to skip this ingredient, or is it likely mandatory? Wondering if I should cancel....
Reply
May 18, 2026 12:37PM
Maybe you can ask for a scant helping of beans which really would not effect the weight of the bowl.
Reply
Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.

Click here to login