I went to this Chipotle today, while on my lunch break at 6:26pm. I only revisited this location because I had a great experience on 9.5.25.
I hadn’t been to this location in years. I used to come here often, but since it’s about a 20+ minute drive for me, I stopped going.
Anyway, today I ordered my usual Chipotle “meal:” a chicken bowl, with brown rice, pico de gallo, and green sauce. Basic. The young man who was on the rice, meat and pico station, with the beautiful gray / blue eyes, did great. Thank you! (I didn’t get his name.)
When I got to the “green sauce station,” I repeated, as I did with the first guy, “please drain the sauce. I don’t like all that juice on my food.”
So, the sauces (pico de gallo, green and red sauces) are always “watery,” from the water that’s naturally in the fruits / vegetables.
Understandable.
Since this “juice / liquid / water” always make my rice soggy and flavorless, and leaves a TON of water / “juice” at the “bottom,” of the bowl, I always ask EVERY Chipotle location to “please strain the sauces; I don’t like all that juice.”
EVERY Chipotle strains the juices without me overly explaining how to do it, or they just “naturally” know how to strain the juices…
they strain the pico through the strainer spoon that’s “assigned” to the pico, and for the green / red sauce, they simply place the spoon along the inside of the bowl, so the juices “strain out,” while keeping the “solids.”
Very simple concept.
For whatever reason, this request wasn’t comprehensible for the young man on the sauce station, so he asked the lady to his right, with the glasses. (I’m not sure if she was Hispanic or Caucasian?...)
Anyway, she responds with, “we don’t do that!!” Then, she folds her arms, kind of looked away, as to say, “now deal with it!” She had a dismissive, “you’re pissing me off,” and “I’m talking to my toddler,” type of attitude, demeanor and body language. Very nasty and unprofessional behavior. Her attitude was so contemptuous, that I asked, “are you ok?” She responded “yes…”
Since the young man wasn’t grasping the concept, despite me thoroughly describing HOW to do it, I just told him “don’t worry about it.” (Looking back, I could’ve just asked the first guy, but I didn’t think of it until later.)
Anyway, I didn’t want the young man to get anxiety or become overwhelmed by my request, that may be “uncommon”…
The young lady with the very nasty attitude, she partially had a “manager” attitude as she was trying to talk louder than everyone, and was giving the cash register lady “instructions” / orders, while she just stood there.
However, if she was a manager, she failed the company, as she didn’t do all SHE could to solve the problem, AND she was HIGHLY unprofessional. Barking orders at people, telling people what to do, speaking LOUDER than everyone else doesn’t constitute leadership.
I let her know that EVERY Chipotle location does that (drain the juices), and when I was there a few days ago, THEY drained the juices.
When I was done paying, the unprofessional lady slid the bag to me and her attitude was in a very sarcastic, “have a nice day,” type of way. Again. Very unprofessional.
To add the “cherry on top,” as I walked away from the counter, after paying for my food, and was soon approaching the door, I heard at least 2 females laughing loudly.
It’s “coincidental” and very unlikely that they returned to a comical conversation, SECONDS after our interaction. Very unprofessional behavior. Similar to a high school, “clique” type of behavior, which has no place in a business transaction / customer experience. Unprofessional.
I’m understanding of the young man not grasping the “straining the juices,” concept... However, for the young lady with the nasty attitude, I’m not understanding of that. Whoever was laughing as I walked off, I’m not understanding of that either.
Overall, the experience was very unprofessional today.
I don’t expect to visit any establishment and be treated unprofessionally. Her behavior was highly unacceptable and unprofessional.