crew member

restaurant staff

grill cook

general manager

team member

Chipotle Mexican Grill

The location I worked was extremely busy constantly and we hardly ever had time to breath. 

The staff was constantly changing as people would only work for a few months before quitting so we were constantly training new people. 

You might pick up a few necessary skills for restaurant experience but it was nothing I didn't already know. 

The people I worked with were for the most part great. There was a lot of conflict between managers and it could be a very dramatic workday. The GM and apprentice aka some of the only real adults were considerate and good to me. Most of the workers were either teenagers or in their early twenties, hence the drama.

There was definite favoritism at my Chipotle. If the bosses liked you, you could take more food, take some drinks (which isn't allowed if its not fountain drinks), take longer breaks, eat in the office, have sway in what position you work that day, etc. I was a favorite. 
How do you become a favorite? 
Be good at your job, make sacrifices (that are not worth the job), and also be lucky. It is not worth it being a favorite. I am an extremely hard working person but I know my worth. I am willing to make sacrifices, come in on my days off, work efficiently and reliably, and hardly ever call out. Instead of favoritism a raise would have been great.

I will say that upper management beyond the GM is absolutely atrocious. The field leaders and such have no care whatsoever for the employees who actually work the stores. They only care about the numbers. Our field leader would come in during a rush and just watch and complain about small things without even offering to help work the rush. 

Getting a promotion takes ages. I went into the job with a lot of kitchen experience and was basically offered a management after just about two months of working there. The process is incredibly long. It will take months before you are actually being compensated as a manager. So basically during the time you train you are being paid as a regular worker when you should be getting paid as a manager for the work you are doing. 

Halloween is also something I want to bring up. If you were working during Halloween this past year you deserve an award honestly. A few weeks before Halloween there were signs in the back about how we were not allowed to ask for Halloween off. Halloween is THE busiest day of the year at Chipotle because for some reason corporate decides to do a special promotion. On a holiday where everyone is already out at night and we would be super busy anyway, chipotle decides to do a special to make it 100 times worse. Oh yeah and it was an online special. As soon as 5:00 hit we got about 50 tickets at once, I am not kidding. I worked in a large city and we already have a ton of customers. We normally lock the doors at 10pm and try to finish closing around 11:30-12. We managed to get the last customer out of the store at 12 and most of us weren't finished closing until 3am. It was insane, I am a college student and I cannot afford to be going home so late. This was not the first time we had to go home so late either. Due to being so understaffed one the service managers was often left to close 3 positions by herself. I often offered to help because its absolutely ridiculous and I didn't want her walking home alone that late.  (The buses would stop running around midnight). 

The customers have absolutely no respect for us. They can see that we are desperately working to get them their food, we are out of breath and scrambling around and they still complain about how we are being unorganized and running behind. 

The people at the store level do not have the ability to turn off online orders if we are too busy in the store nor do they have permission to go only only without the field leader saying its ok. Like I said the field leaders do not care about the workers. We would be over an hour behind on online orders and the field leader would not let us stop taking in person orders as well. 

I have had to call the cops on customers numerous times. I have had to yell at customers and make sure they don't hurt or attack my fellow employees. I have delt with "Karens" before but chipotle customers are something else. 

All in all, many of my chipotle co workers became friends of mine I still hang out with. They still give me free food if I go in. The people who stick around are great, hardworking people who deserve more. 

There are four positions that I work:
Opening prep
Closing prep
Opening grill
Closing grill

When working prep, I always start by filling out the prep sheet. The prep sheet is basically a chart that tells me how much food we have, what we need to have for the shift, what I prepare for the next two shifts, and our sales projections for the shift.

The food I prepare varies by shift. With opening prep, I prepare everything for the day within three to four hours and then I go up to
the grill to back the opening grill person during the lunch rush. My shift starts at 6:30 am and ends at 2:30 pm.

In closing prep my shift starts at 4 pm and I need to be done by 7 pm at the latest. I prepare everything for the next two shifts. That means I marinade between 200 - 400 pounds of meat, I cut 30 pounds of bell peppers, and 20 pounds of onions. I also block 80 pounds of cheese. When I'm done I go, and break the grill person for thirty minutes. When he's finished at 8:30, I go on break. I come back and begin to clean the back of the house. I have two and a half hours to scrub the floors, clean the sinks, take out the trash, do the closing dishes, bleach the cutting boards, and then deep clean the dish pit. On a good night, I have almost no dishes to clean. On an average night, I'm cleaning at least 40 pans, and on a bad night I'm in the dishpit for over an hour.

In opening grill, I come in at 7 am and connect the gas lines to the rice cooker, grill, range, and deep fryer. I then begin by cooking multiple batches of rice, dicing 8 pounds of jalapenos, and cutting about 6 pounds of cilantro. By 9:30 am, I need to have at least two batches of rice, all my cilantro and jalapenos done, and begin cooking for the crew. I go on break at 10 am for thirty minutes. When my break is over I need to cook about 7 pounds of chicken, 3 pounds of steak, four 8 pound bag of beans, two 5 pound bags of barbacoa, and two 5 pound bags of carnitas within 30 minutes.

The last position I work is closing grill. I come in at 3:30 pm to clean my station, stock up my food, and then begin cooking for my shift. On a typical night I'm cooking for $3000 by myself all night. I have to fill out a food safety checklist, ensure that the meats are thoroughly cooked, make multiple batches of rice, mix rice for the line, cook fajitas, and cook beans. By 8 pm, I need to balance between cooking and cleaning as well beginning to shutdown my station. By 10pm, I need to have started cleaning the grill. When the grill is finished, I have to clean my floors, replace the baffle filters, disconnect the gas lines, and finish the rest of the cleaning. I need to be done with everything by 11:30 pm at the latest.

The descriptions don't really do the position justice. In order to meet the demands for my job, I have to be in a constant state of motion. There prep I need to do on each shift is for over $6,000.00 in sales. We prepare everything fresh. We make the guacamole by hand the day of, cut lettuce by hand the day of, cut and dice onions by hand the day of. Everything is hand prepared. I have to balance my time wisely while ensuring my cuts are perfect every time. I also must make sure my station is clean throughout my entire shift. It's a very physically challenging position where I'm required to constantly lift over 40 pounds multiple times a day while almost running to and from my position.

For the food orders, I have to do an inventory of 129 different items within thirty minutes to order enough food for typically about $24,000 - $30,000 in sales. I simplified this process by writing an Excel spreadsheet that calculates the math for me using a three step formula that I wrote. It cuts the time down for ordering by about 15 minutes and has made it more precise. I designed the spreadsheet so that I could use it on my tablet or smart phone. It eliminates the risk of human error and allows anyone to place the food order now with no training at all.

I'm also in charge of all the stores maintenance. Every six weeks we have an inspection. Before I took this position we received a negative review from the Facilities Manager. Since I've taken over, we have received a very positive review from the Facilities Manager the past two rotations. I've only been in this position for the past two rotations (12 weeks).

I’m going to try to be as vague as possible here for the sake of anonymity, but I’ve been working with this company for a number of years and I’ve been working at this particular chipotle for about 9 months. The location I worked at previously was honestly really great—I met a ton of nice people, the management was pretty lax, and the workload was manageable. This location couldn’t have been any more different. Let me start off by saying that, if you speak Spanish, you’d have probably a much more enjoyable environment to work in. But as someone who doesn’t speak the language, I find it very hard to communicate and connect with almost everybody who works in the store. This in of itself wouldn’t be a massive dealbreaker, but I do feel that it was extremely difficult to form connections with my coworkers, most of whom mainly just kept to themselves. On my first day at this location, I tried to introduce myself to my coworkers only to be met with blank stares or a simple “hi…” I don’t blame them though, mostly because there’s no time to even engage in small talk due to the influx of people who come to this restaurant, which brings me to my next point: the workload. This location gets extremely busy, and the rushes get intense. If you ever found yourself at a different job where you get to check your phone or even get to sit down in between taking orders, kiss those days goodbye. Even when there’s no customers in the door, there will always be something to restock or clean or prep, and when you are on the line, you can often find yourself alone and in that particular state of stress where you just feel like you want to throw up. The customer base isn’t the best either, often being rude, condescending, and barking their order at you, all the while trying to milk as much food out of their purchase as possible. Trust me, if you start working here, the word “more” will start to give you nightmares, since it requires you to stop your flow, backtrack, sometimes restock, and make it much more difficult to wrap the burrito, all of which taking place amidst a massive rush. The management here is also very strict and by the books. Everything is done exactly by company policy, which in some instances make total sense, but sometimes you think to yourself, “why is this even a rule and who cares if I follow it?” That’s a dangerous thought to have, since even breaking seemingly arbitrary rules can lead to cut hours, which brings me to another point. The hours seemingly fluctuate between ok and absolutely unacceptable. I need about 25 hours of work a week to be able to afford my personal necessities, and sometimes I receive that, but more often than not I’m only receiving about 15 hours a week, all the while the restaurant hires more and more workers. I felt like every shift I came in and I saw a new worker, and either that means the turnover rate really is just that high, or just as likely, our roster is just overflowing. Communication between management and employees, and even from employee to employee, is non existent. There is no work group chat to be seen, which makes finding covers for a shift a wild goose chase of hunting down who’s already working, whose number can you even find or reach, and even who’s still employed at the store or not. As well as that, basic updates about what’s going on around the store are nowhere to be seen. Recently, our location’s hours changed from closing at 10:00 pm to closing at 11:00, and I didn’t find out until the day of the change, while I was working the closing. And it wasn’t just me, because another coworker of mine found that out the same time as I did. I felt like such a major change to our schedules should’ve been announced much earlier, especially since many of the workers are students, and can’t afford the time to clock out at 12am and wake up at 6am to get to class. I understand that there are definitely much worse places to seek employment for, but I will say that this restaurant shouldn’t be your first pick. The best parts about the job include a 30 minute break for any employee working over six hours in a shift, and the staff meal that can save a ton of money on groceries, although the food can get pretty sickening after a while of eating it. You should probably only apply here out of desperation, seriously. 

Never written a review on here but here’s a job worth warning people about. Started working here a little over a month ago. My particular location is a newer one with a new manager that’s never worked at a Chipotle until now, my position is on grill. Overall I’ve worked worse jobs but not many. I joined because there are some pretty good perks (free food whenever you work, 30 minute paid breaks, after 4 months they’ll help with tuition assistance if you’re going to school) but beyond that it’s just been an unhappy experience. There are tons of guidelines in place for health and safety, I’m guessing because there have been so many illness outbreaks at Chipotles (if you didn’t know this look it up) and they are even stricter during COVID. I wouldn’t have a problem with it if it weren’t for the fact that my location has a new GM and I get conflicting information on company protocol All. The. Time. They’ve apologized to me several times for failing to explain everything from how to properly sanitize their bag openers to how to cook steak, but a month and a half into this job they’re still coaching me during my shift on things I didn’t know I was supposed to be doing since day one - and this happens EVERY DAY. It’s like being gaslit on my own job training. I’ve had numerous encounters where a manager would come up to me, watch me do something I’ve been trained to do that I’ve been doing for weeks and weeks, only now to tell me that I was doing it the completely wrong way. Then, when working with another manager, I’d ask if that was the proper way to do it and they would say “no, do it the way you were trained.” I would happily just do my job if I had confidence that I was doing it properly. Recently my GM pulled me aside several times throughout a shift to update me on how to properly cook several different things. Apparently my trainer who specifically said you add water to carnitas was completely wrong, even though I’d been cooking it like that five shifts a week for a month... In their defense, managers do come in and help cook whenever I fall behind and they’re understanding about finding a good time (i.e. when it’s not busy) to go over something with me, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’ve been here as long as I have and still go in wondering how long it’ll be until I’m chewed out for not doing something that I didn’t know was part of my job. Seriously? It’s annoying as f**k. I would confront them and say to just retrain me, but that’s really, clearly, not my job. I honestly don’t care about working here enough to do anything except leave. They don’t incentivize their workers to advance in the company from what I can tell, and there is generally a stream of constant criticism from the managers because they’re constantly concerned with health and safety inspectors that threaten their job. Not much of a sense of unity or “we’re in this together” at my location. Not that I even care about “unity” in a job anyways - I’ve worked in smaller places that definitely suck at teamwork - but man oh man if you’re going to have a ton of rules in place for how literally everything is supposed to work, then get your s**t together, train your employees properly and be sure everyone working there is on the same page so you don’t continue to badly train your new employees and have to undo everything that you told them four weeks later. It’s unfair to your workers. If you work here I hope this is a problem only at my location and that other places are better organized, because working at my place with corporate protocol yet total disorganization on the store-level is unbearable. Dealing with this and coming home char-soaked and sweaty at 11:30/ midnight vs. a job bagging groceries? Bottom line, you’re still getting paid minimum wage. If you need a survival job like me, take the latter. I feel bad for the person that’s coming in to replace me, because they’re about to be trained like s**t.

managers take advantage of hard workers and make them do the work the managers should be doing. part of chipotle employment is connecting with your people, which they think they do by having "one on ones", which really is just an excuse to get out of actually working for a half an hour or more and just talking bad about someone or something. Yes they could possibly be talking about ways too improve your performance, but stuff like that doesn't require sitting down with them and having a pointless, waste of time meeting. part of being a crew member at chipotle requires that if you see something being done incorrectly, you should point it out to either the person doing it or someone who can find out who did and correct their mistake. seems like a good way to keep everyone on the same page, unless the manager doesn't agree with what you pointed out, then it doesn't matter, even if it is against policy. Once you're a manager, youre set. they cant get fired uness they get caught stealing or something ridiculous, which still they probably wont lose their job. I had this manager who was supposed to open one day, we get there at 8, some at 7, and she didn't even call to say she was coming until almost 11, which is when we open, so the whole crew was waiting around for her for almost 2 hours. finally the GM shows up before the opening manager and they don't get the store open until 1!! and absolutely nothing happened to the opening manager...why? because the reason she was so late and overslept was because the previous night was the gms birthday and they went out and got trashed together... its just complete nonsense one day after another. I recently got fired. For...? well it was nearing the end of my shift and I was stocking everything for the night shift. a service manager came in on her day off with her two 4 or 5 year old kids. not a problem until she brings them into the back of the house with her so theyre running all around and interfering with my work. its a very fast paced environment at chipotle, even if they aren't directly in the kitchen area, its still very dangerous for young kids. so I said something, like were supposed to do when we feel something is wrong. so my gm asks me why I thought that, and I told her flat out its not safe, then brought up a prior incident where I got in trouble for my boyfriend visiting me for 5 minutes to say hi (which may not have been necessary to add but whatever). she then came up to me while on the register, in front of employees and customers, yells at me telling me not to get an attitude with her or to raise my voice (which I did neither). after all this, I was irritated and just didn't want to speak with the GM for the rest of my shift (which I only had an hour left). at the end of my shift as im counting down my drawer, the apprentice asks me to come with him, takes me to the patio where the gm is waiting. she says."we don't feel that youre a top performer anymore therefore you don't belong on this team...I had worked there for two years, got 4 raises, one just a few days before this incident. I went out of my way everyday I worked there to do more, learn more, try and get promoted. but getting promoted at chipotle depends on everyone else, not just you. if theres someone already training to become a KM or SM but they just aren't cutting it, well youre outta luck until the get it. other managers get held back when others aren't ready, then theyre blamed for not pushing that trainee harder or faster or whatever they can blame on you. Overall, this chipotle sucks to work at. ive heard others aren't as bad, but those ones aren't "resterauntuer "<--(made up term for chipotle only, cause their so special-means theyre the best of the best pretty much) its all just a competition and the blame game. don't work there ever!

Any given day working at Chipotle is different with just one common factor: customers want their burrito and they want it fast. It all depends on which position you are scheduled to work, and the only position I was never assigned to work the Grill. I worked the Tortilla station, Salsa Station, Cash register and Food Prep. No one person can do it alone, a team is required to make a day go by smoothly, like a well oiled machine. It starts with the prep person who makes the meat marinade at the begging of the night shift so that it is well seasoned for the next day's burritos. Every morning tomatoes are diced, jalapenos and salad lettuce is cut, cilantro is chopped, cheese is grated and fresh salsa and guacamole is made. Nacho chips are put in the fryer a batch at a time and salted to perfection. Salsa, Guacamole and chips are often made multiple times in one day so that the stock stays fresh. Each crew member needs to know about all of the food products sold so that they can give a customer a description of how everything is made and what it tastes like. Portion sizing is very important a chipotle, not only does it help customers be able to count the calories of how much they are getting in their burrito but it helps reduce waste at the end of the night. It is important that when working on the line a crew member is able to wrap a burrito so that the tortilla doesn't break or the contents later spill out into the customers lap. At the Cash register it is important to smile and give great customer service, this is where the most customer to crew member interaction takes place. To get from the beginning of the line to the cash register is ideally supposed to take under a minute per customer. It is also important to keep up with washing dishes and making sure the rest of the restaurant is clean during the night. Three times a day the cooking equipment must be temped out to make sure that it is at a safe temperature to be cooking or holding food at and paperwork must be done every time the equipment has been checked. A chipotle crew member must be able to work fast, and plan a few minuets into the future and decide which tasks should be done at which time. For example you wouldn't want to change out the salsa and clean the window with a line of people, you would want to give the customer your full attention. 

I learned a lot about food preparation at chipotle. I learned about what temperatures are too hot or too cold for food to be safely stored. I learned that chicken should always be stored on the bottom shelf so that it doesn't accidentally leak into the box of peppers that sits below it. I also memorized all the recipes for the salsa, guacamole and meat marinades. There were even a few employees whom I trained. 

Management at Chipotle was great. My general manager was in the store all the time and I got to know her really well, she is a great motivator. The other managers were also fun upbeat people who knew what they were doing. 

I loved my co-workers at chipotle, we became almost like a work family. We communicated so well that we didn't even have to use words anymore. A glance here or a nodd there was all it took to understand something like " Would you hand me that spoon?" On nights where we had to stay late to finish cleaning it was good to be surrounded by people who made the time go by faster. 

The hardest part of the job were the nights when everyone on the team was not on top of their job. It would slow down the production for everything else and everyone else would have to work twice as hard to keep things moving. 

The most enjoyable part of my job was making the food. I've always loved to cook and the skills transferred over into the job nicely.

It's great if you are just entering the workforce and are desperate for a job while finishing college! (Like helping you pay for college and paying you for the work you do). 

It is very labor-intensive, just like many other food-service jobs; it's just how it works. You will get burned (physically - it's a kind of "right of passage,") because all of the pots and pans don't guard against heat when you're handling metal containers with fresh meat in them. It's also a very tight and compact environment, like most food-service positions. However, being very hot and exaughsted is just something you have to get used to, as well as being very mentally tough to make it through each day, if you want to survive. Some people have high egos and treat it like a toxic dog-eat-dog entitled environment, while others are so so very kind, and considerate, not to mention flexible with scheduling and training you how to accomplish everything the right and efficient way. If you can't rise to the occasion and deal with multiple tasks and people at once, then don't even apply. You know how long the chipotle lines usually are - people are working harder than customers think they are, some just don't care to notice. 

Most of the people I worked with were really amazing, helpful friendly and outgoing. Your experience really depends on who you are working with though. Some managers have been awesome, as it's a very tiring and draining position with many responsibilities. If you're not careful or smart you can burn yourself (more than you're supposed to when handling the metal food containers - you will get burned, there's no way around it because everything is hot). As I said, some managers were so amazing, however one of my managers at the time was not exemplary in communication skills, and failed to do their job well, using their bias against me to fire me while I took a short time off (after following all the neccessary requirements and communicating with the original head-manager and multiple coworkers to get shifts taken care of) to attend a family memeber's funeral. This manger did not do their job properly at all, so I definitely think there should be stricter mangement regulations in place. However, you can't generalize a single place due to one bad egg. 

Although the work is very tough, time-consuming, exaughsting, not to mention the vital necessity of memorizing and performing company jargon to the best of your ability, it also feels rushed, like being constantly understaffed. However, this is just how food service works. So, just be prepared.  Only take this job if you're desperate for work. (And if you want to smell like onions all the time). Also, I think they need to implement a more efficient way to clean the dishes, as well as clean them better than just a hand wash 3-sink system. 

The interview process was a lot tougher than I expected it to be. It was a three-part process. Consisting of a group interview, then the next round if you made it was a single interview with a higher-up manager, and next an interview while you complete the food safety and handling courses. 

Overall, I give where I worked 3 stars, not because of the food, but because of how I was wongfully terminated. I can keep up with the work, but it breaks you after working there for a year. I'm able to go back if I needed to, but I will never work for this company ever again.

If you are reading this and you have orientation coming up, then good luck! You've got this! 🩷

I worked here during undergrad. Your experience will depend on your site, coworkers, management, and clientele. This also goes if you are neurodivergent or require special accommodations.

I worked near my college campus, so the staff was mostly students. Therefore, I am directing this review toward any college students thinking about taking this job (regardless of your location).

I worked in front of the house-- mainly on the front line, but I occasionally had to fill in for the cashier or digital make line. I also performed porter duties, which were restocking the drink station and making sure that the bathroom, lobby, and patio were clean. Sometimes you will be called in to prep for chips or taco shells in the morning. Do not expect a lot of hours, especially if you are FOH. However, you will have opportunities to pick up shifts in case of callouts (usually around exams such as midterms or finals).

You will have to take your ServSafe test if you don't already have your certification. It is boring, but what you learn is important to your job. Chipotle is serious about food safety, so make sure you wash your hands, change your gloves, and practice good hygiene. Learn and memorize all of the menu policies to save yourself time on the line. Learn to manage your time, because you will be given a shift change checklist that you are expected to complete each shift before you clock out. You will also be working during rushes, where you are expected to hit "throughput rates". You will learn a lot from this job, at least I did.

If you worked near your college campus like I did, you will be working with and serving mostly other students and university/college staff. Your location, managers, and crew can make or break your work experience. If you have a tight-knit and supportive crew, it makes work much more enjoyable. The same can be said with your clientele and store volume. Most of your customers will be respectful, but you will have a problem few. I do not recommend getting too attached to your coworkers, since turnover is fairly high (depending on the location), people's availability changes, people transfer locations, students graduate or transfer, etc.

This job came with its challenges. This job can place a physical toll on your body-- I  recommend strength training and comfortable nonslip shoes. You are going to feel out of place at work sometimes, hence my previous point mentioning that your crew can make or break your experience. The hours may be low and can increase or decrease depending on store traffic and needs. You get tips, but not much (because of tipping fatigue, which is understandable). You will have Karens, Kevins, and problem customers. You will have to familiarize yourself with social media "hacks" and portion drama-- it is an expected part of the job.

The food is the biggest perk of the job. This is a job that feeds you and supplements your grocery bill. I gained nearly 10 pounds because I ate here so much. You get employee discounts while customers pay way more. I also loved talking to some of my coworkers once I got comfortable. I liked the hipster/indie lobby music for the most part, even though some of the songs were overplayed. Shifts go by fairly quickly depending on the volume of your store.

I was lucky to get employed at a grand opening for a new Chipotle and therefore had excellent training during an NRO (I honestly don't know what that stands for) week. Prior to working at Chipotle, I had no experience in customer service or working in fast food. I felt very timid about slowly learning how to do all the tasks, however, within two months I really got a decent grasp on how to do a lot of tasks and could teach others a thing or two. If you're open to learning more tasks, they'll get you trained on all you want to learn for the most part. If you don't get along with at least one manager or your peer crew members, you're going to have a very difficult time. When I started off as crew, I had many enjoyable days with my team.  Management at Chipotle fluctuates very rapidly.  The management of management want the highest standards done with as few workers as possible--and that makes for a very stressful time. So, if you're not homies with some people you work with, dealing with customers and management is going to be really tough on top of not getting along with the team. Chipotle is not just another fast food restaurant--it's a physically demanding, fast pace restaurant business and they take food quality and food safety seriously (as it should be). There are many rules/standards set in place for food and health quality, but on most days it is impossible to follow standard to the book--so if you're a stickler for rules, this will be tough to comprehend. If you do not care about your work, everyone will know. If you do care about your work, learn fast, and perform well--you will be celebrated. Chipotle promises 30min breaks, but don't expect a break as a manager (but if you're crew, make sure you get your break). I've heard that this is the nature of all restaurant biz, but the folks here talk poorly about everyone even in front of the people they're talking poorly about--and I found this extremely uncomfortable the entire time I worked there. You either have to delve into being an awful person along with everyone else, or, magically mind your business (but good luck with that). Overall, training and advancement in the company were perks. Before I worked at Chipotle, I had no clue about all the benefits the company has or that they're committed to getting responsibly sourced food. If you're considering working here, try not to be afraid of learning something new--I never wanted to learn how to do grill, but after a while of easing into it--it wasn't impossible. You'll be amazed at what you're capable of.  Chipotle is a really great stepping stone in your career path--they offer higher education reimbursement. As a part time crew member, after at least one full month's worth of work, you will be eligible to enroll for the health benefit (preventative care--health, dental, vision).  If you become a full time manager down the road, you can enroll for full healthcare benefits (however, you do have to pay a bit out of your biweekly check toward the benefits).  If you care about making delicious, good food and commit to the Chipotle standards--you'll do well. Also don't sweat it, no one's good at wrapping a burrito at first--it all comes with repetitive practice. It will be much easier to avoid getting caught up in all the drama at this workplace if you only work part-time. Most folks who work here are students or aspiring students. I've heard some people say it's a less toxic work environment than a UPS warehouse, so maybe it's got that going for it. 

When I first started at Chipotle, I absolutely loved it. After working there for nearly 4 years, Ive had enough. The people Ive met there are the only thing keeping me from walking out the door. 

Lets start with the good. Chipotle will give you a free meal every shift you work. You also get 50% off if you want to get food on your day off. (This is only at your restaurant, however. So expect to pay full price if you travel and stop for lunch.) 

Chipotle has the best sense of community out of any other job Ive worked. I’ve met some of my best friends through this company, and I wouldnt be the person I am today without them.

The company gives you a free Christmas gift every year. Ive gotten a duffle bag, a speaker, a portable charger, a pair of socks and a travel coffee mug. 

If management likes you, they will fill your head with plans of moving you through the management pipeline. They will really push you, unless you have solid boundaries and know how to tell them what you do/dont want. If you work hard, you will be recognized. If you want to be a manager, do what they ask and you should have no problem. 

However-

The management introduction and training process can take forever. Im talking months, or longer. For example, after I dropped out of college in December and went home to my Chipotle (which I had been working at for nearly 2 years at the time,) I was told I’d be promoted to Kitchen Manager by February or March. They did not start my training until late June. I was officially promoted in August. 

If you do not have certain listed symptoms, you cannot call out. If you call out with symptoms other than the ones youre allowed to call out with, or a “family emergency” or something along those lines, you will be written up for a no call no show unless you find your own coverage. 

If the store is busy or short people, you will most likely be expected to stay past your scheduled time to finish your tasks/duties or help customers. When I was learning prep and doing KM training, I was often scheduled 6am-1pm, but I would have to stay well past 2pm, sometimes even 3pm or 4pm when it was really bad. This is even worse if you are a manager above KM. Apprentices and general managers will be expected to work open to close if no other manager can work the shift. Then sometimes open the next day.

I cant speak for all locations, but mine wasnt the best at scheduling people inside their availabilities and honoring requested days off. My manager really harped that no requests off were guaranteed, which sucked because Id have to move doctors appointments or cancel plans due to my days off not being honored. Also, the schedule is set up mon-sun, but we didnt get our schedule for the week until the Saturday before the week started. And if you have open availability, you will most likely not have a consistent schedule. This may not be an issue for everyone, but for someone like me who needs structure and specific times/days of the week off for appointments, this was extremely frustrating.

Even though Ive met some of my closest friends at Chipotle, there can be a lot of favoritism and drama. 

If you work more than 4 hours at a time, you will leave smelling like sweat and onions. I literally have to shower after every shift and I cannot wear my work clothes for more than one shift at a time. If I dont wash my laundry before wearing it a second time, it absolutely reeks.

I used to look forward to going to work every day, but this company has drained me. I leave exhausted and smelly every day. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Crew member 2048 salaries reported	$15.89 per hour
Restaurant staff 303 salaries reported	$15.36 per hour
Grill cook 182 salaries reported	$15.11 per hour
General manager 92 salaries reported	$59,713 per year
Team member 117 salaries reported	$14.70 per hour

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