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- Some TikTokers are recording their orders being made at Chipotle in the hope of getting more food.
- The "phone hack" began when people complained that the chain was serving smaller protein portions.
- Chipotle said it hadn't made any changes to its portion sizes.
This year's burrito season at Chipotle is closing out with a controversy.
Some customers say that the restaurant chain famous for its bowls of meat, cheese, and guacamole isn't as generous with its portions as it used to be. In response, they're pulling out their smartphones as Chipotle employees add chicken al pastor, steak, or another one of their preferred proteins to their orders.
In an early-May post on TikTok about his issues with the chain, the influencer Keith Lee complained about it serving smaller portions of meat. In the video, Lee sampled multiple Chipotle items, including a bowl he ordered with chicken al pastor.
For several seconds, Lee searches the bowl for a piece of chicken with his fork as tense music from the game show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" plays over the video.
Lee rates the bowl a "two out of 10," citing factors including the small protein portion. "This was $12 or $13," Lee says in the post. "I only got four pieces of chicken."
Lee previously helped popularize ordering a steak quesadilla with fajita veggies and a side of honey vinaigrette mixed with sour cream. Chipotle later made the item a formal part of its menu.
After Lee's video, other TikTokers started recording employees preparing their Chipotle orders to see whether they'd get bigger portion sizes than if they hadn't whipped out their phones.
It's not clear that the "phone hack" works, though.
One poster on TikTok headed to a Chipotle restaurant to try it out.
His conclusion: "I really don't think there's any difference in this," he said while showing his bowl. "Maybe a little more chicken than usual."
He did point to another issue: The portion of chips he received was small, the poster said, and they were cold. "Chipotle needs to step it up," he says in the video.
"There have been no changes in our portion sizes, and we have reinforced proper portioning with our employees," Laurie Schalow, Chipotle's chief corporate-affairs and food-safety officer, told Business Insider. "If we did not deliver on our value, we want our guests to reach out so we can make it right."
Customers "can vocalize or digitally select their desired portions" when ordering, Schalow said in a statement. Chipotle hasn't given employees instructions on what to do when customers start filming, a spokesperson added.
The chain has also defended itself in a more lighthearted way on TikTok, posting its own video featuring a sea of customers holding their phones up near the ordering counter at a restaurant.
Do you work or dine at Chipotle and have a story idea to share? Reach out to this reporter at abitter@businessinsider.com