Chipotle Mexican Grill — Restaurant in Ottawa

Chipotle is one of my favorite restaurants. I visited Ottawa recently and dropped by the Chipotle restaurant in the Rideau shopping mall. I ordered a couple of burritos and one side for takeout. Two veggie ones. There was only enough tofu for one of the two burritos so the young lady scrapped the bottom of the dish and put it. She offered to put grilled veggies for the second one. Before leaving, I checked the bag and they forgot to put the side salsa I ordered. Once I got that, brought it home to add to family dinner. It was unanimous at the table that the salt was off the charts in the tofu one especially. The veggie one was a little less but still more than any other time we have eaten at the Chipotle in USA when we visited. The chips were also unevenly salted. From nothing on some to a lot on others. I gave them the benefit of the doubt and contacted customer service. I told them about this and because the bill was over 30$ for this visit that was just not up to par, I asked if they can make up for it. Their offer was a buy one get one free coupon...like ones you find in newspapers or online promotions for the general public. And they said I have 30 days only to use it. We don't have a Chipotle in my area but would be in a city where they have one later this summer. They said they could not accommodate. That too me was unacceptable as a longtime customer. I was so disappointed that such a large chain restaurant is totally unable to find a respectable way to make up for a bad experience. If I was the President of Chipotle, I would have a policy of offering the equivalent or additional coupon or compensation to make up for such a thing and value loyalty of customers in an industry that has so much competition. Very disappointed in my experience this time with such a big brand.

Update: The owner responded on this comment and asked to contact customer service. Kenneth at customer service said he cannot do better than the buy one get one free coupon. The type that you find in newspapers available to the general public. And nowhere near equivalent to what I spent. He said that offer is only good for 30 days. So upon giving Chipotle Canada a second chance to get this situation right, they disappointed yet again unfortunately. So owner of this location, asking me to contact customer service resulted in nothing but...

My recent experience at this Chipotle location on Saturday the 16th, shortly after 9pm, was incredibly disheartening.

When I arrived, there was a long line, and the service was painfully slow especially for a fast-food establishment. I waited over 20 minutes just to place my order.

While I was waiting, I noticed a man sitting quietly on a stool near the entrance, holding a sign asking for help to buy food. It was clear he was receiving uncomfortable stares from some customers based on his appearance, but he wasn’t bothering anyone, just silently holding his sign.

A few minutes later, a kind person handed him $20. The man stood up, joined the line at the back, and continued to wait calmly like everyone else. He didn't disturb anyone.

Not long after, two Rideau Centre security guards arrived and approached him. I didn’t catch everything they said, but I heard the man respond, “No, I stopped asking. I’m just standing in line.” That moment broke my heart. Someone had clearly called security on him just for existing in that space.

Eventually, I made it to the front of the line. The staff member helping me was quite rude (though that’s a separate issue). At the cashier, I asked them to set my food aside because I wanted to pay for the man's meal behind me. I figured he could use the $20 he had just received for a future meal.

While I waited for him to finish ordering, a Chipotle employee pulled me aside and said something I found deeply unsettling: “If you buy that man food, then he becomes your responsibility.”

I was stunned and confused. I asked for clarification, but the message was clear he was subtly discouraging me from helping, implying that the man's presence wasn't welcome based on how he looked or his circumstances.

To be clear, this man was not causing any trouble. He was simply trying to purchase food like everyone else. And after the long, uncomfortable wait I had just endured, that comment felt especially cruel.

Instead of judging or targeting vulnerable individuals who are quietly seeking a meal, maybe the staff’s focus should be on improving their slow service and showing basic human compassion.

Please, let us not forget our shared humanity. Life can change in an instant, and any one of us or someone we love could end up in the same position. A little empathy...

Title: Very Poor Experience with Staff at Chipotle (Canada)

Review:

We had a very bad experience at this Chipotle location in Canada. We expected the same service quality as in the United States, but it was the complete opposite. The service was terrible. One employee tried to charge us for meals we did not order, and when we tried to clarify the mistake, she was rude and insisted we were wrong.

For example, my daughter ordered a bowl without guacamole, and they gave her a completely different bowl with guacamole. When we pointed it out, the employee claimed — right to my face — that my wife had ordered that bowl, which was absolutely not true. Her behavior was disrespectful, confrontational, and frankly, unprofessional.

In addition, another family who was with us, a group of six people, also had a very bad experience. They were forced to pay for 8 meals even though they clearly only ordered 6. When they tried to explain the situation, the same employee acted in a defiant and rude manner, showing no willingness to correct the mistake.

This kind of treatment is unacceptable, and we hope the management team addresses it seriously. As frequent Chipotle customers, we were extremely disappointed and will not return to...