Chipotle Mexican Grill — Restaurant in Los Gatos

I frequently visit this Chipotle, especially during the lunch rush. While the food quality is generally good, there are recurring issues that need addressing to improve the customer experience.

Often, they run out of key ingredients like chicken and steak during peak hours. Meanwhile, you can see staff in the back prioritizing online orders over in-house customers. This results in a crowd of frustrated customers waiting for their online orders, as well as a long line of people waiting to order in person.

Today I watched customer after customer come up to order only to be disappointed. I thought I had timed it perfectly. Loads of chicken came off the grill just a minute or so before I ordered. However, I was told my options were barbacoa or sofrita. I asked if I could wait for chicken and how long that would be. I was told 10 minutes. 10 minutes to cut the cooked chicken. I waited about 5 before leaving and getting a burrito from Doña Maria across the street.

As someone who works in the food service industry, here are my suggestions:

Increase Prep: The store should ensure they are constantly prepping all of the meats. Running out of chicken or steak, which are probably the most popular protein choices, is unacceptable. Even if the meat is not piping hot, some customers would prefer it slightly cold rather than not having it at all.

Manage Online Orders: Consider turning off online ordering during peak times until the situation is under control. It’s incredibly frustrating for in-house customers to be told that an item is out of stock when they can see it being used for online orders. In my view, customers who drive to the store should be prioritized over online orders through the app or delivery services.

Act with Urgency: There is value in acting with urgency and demonstrating that you want to make things right for the customer. Instead of telling customers they have to wait 10 minutes for chicken that is already cooked and just needs to be cut, have an employee slicing the chicken right next to the grill where customers can see it. As soon as there is enough chicken for a single order, place it in the customer’s bowl, and then continue slicing until all orders are fulfilled and the line keeps moving. This shows customers that their time is valued and helps maintain a positive experience.

Overall, it seems the store gets overwhelmed during busy times, and everything falls apart. Proper preparation is crucial. Hiring a person dedicated solely to prep would likely alleviate many of these issues. Prep more than you think you'll need to ensure a smooth operation.

I hope these suggestions help improve the efficiency and customer satisfaction at this location. I enjoy the food and would love to see these...

My experience at Chipotle has changed somewhat since I worked there 6 months ago. In October 2018, the staff I was working with were super friendly to customers and always gave generous portions. Under the management of my ex boss, we even became #1 in customer service for the state of CA, I believe. Since then, I have noticed almost all of the staff is gone, replaced by people who will usually only acknowledge you by staring you quickly in the eyes, and overall giving the impression the really don’t want to be there. The amount I get on my bowls will always be unpredictable, sometimes I get the amount I expect which is a lot, other times only a small dollop of guacamole and sour cream. They do not toast the tortillas for more than a few seconds, while I had always been instructed to double that time. There was a strict procedure for how to greet and say goodbye to customers that I think at this point, has just fallen to the wayside. The last time I went in, I had to ask for a side 4 times before practically yelling at this poor woman, who never looked up once to acknowledge that she heard me. I felt bad, but it was the only form of communication I was driven to. I don’t think I will be going back to this location. Their standards...

I'm vegetarian & the employee was not careful at all. My burrito was touching meat chunks that had fallen on the counter. On top of that, while adding meat to another person's order, he was holding the serving spoon full of meat right over my burrito. Meat juices were dripping off. It really grossed me out. If some of the meat fell into my burrito, I would have just said "no thanks" and walked out. After that, there was no staff to add the remaining items..salsas, guac, sour cream, etc. There were 2 other staff members standing around at the time & just didn't feel like putting on the gloves and continuing the assembly line. I stood there for 5 minutes watching them talk to each other before a girl reluctantly put her gloves on & half heartedly added the other items. She practically rolled her eyes at me. One more thing about this place..the restroom was horrendously dirty. The condition of the restroom is a clear indicator of the overall cleanliness of a restaurant. It shows that the staff at this branch are not clean & just don't care. I gave 2 stars because the food itself is up to normal Chipotle standards. I definitely will not visit this...