By Lydia PatrickShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberA California father says he was stunned after a recent visit to Chipotle with his son cost more than $50.
Matt Rieck (@mattrieck), 47, from Anaheim, California, told Newsweek that he visited a Chipotle restaurant on November 15 at around 12:15 p.m., shortly after finishing a gym session with his son. He said they ordered two bowls with double meat and guacamole, along with two regular small sodas. The total on his receipt came to $52.64.
Rieck shared a reaction video on TikTok, where he said the post has since accumulated 3.8 million views on Instagram, 827,000 on Facebook and 1.2 million on TikTok.
He told Newsweek that he found it “unbelievable."
According to Rieck, a meal used to cost between $8 and $12 three years ago, and he was shocked that it now cost over $25 each. "How in the world do you expect people to keep coming in?" he asks in the video.
Newsweek reached out to Chipotle's communications team for comment via email. We could not verify the details of the case.
...According to a December 2024 Reuters report, Chipotle raised menu prices by about 2 percent nationwide to offset inflation and increased input costs like beef, dairy and avocados
The company said the price increase was “modest” but said it was necessary to counter rising costs, including wages (especially in states like California) and ingredient inflation
Rieck said that in his view, Chipotle’s prices have risen sharply in recent years. He also referred to online discussions about portion sizes where TikTokers would film workers build their bowls from behind the counter to call out portion sizes.
The former CEO Brian Niccol refuted these claims and encouraged customers to ask for more additions during their order.
Rieck said he enjoyed the food and remains a fan of the restaurant, adding that “Chipotle is always awesome, I love their food.”
Social Media Response
The video prompted strong reactions from viewers commenting on the rising cost of fast food.
One user argued: “We need to stop showing up at the restaurants until they drop the prices down.”
Another pointed out the drink price, saying: “What’s crazy is $3.20 for a small drink.”
Several commenters noted that prices are rising everywhere, with one writing: “Look around it's not just chipotle. The world has gone uber expensive.”
Others defended the chain, suggesting inflation is also affecting restaurants’ costs.
Some argued that customizations like extra meat add significantly to the bill, while another said they would have left upon seeing a $52 total.
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