Editor's Review
Ordering at a Chipotle counter is fast right up until the queue reaches the door, which is the problem this app was built to solve.
Ordering:
The builder walks the same path as the line does: base, protein, rice, beans, salsas, extras. Because it is a screen rather than a person, fiddly requests get easier - light rice, extra fajita veggies, sauce on the side - and the price updates as you add. Completed orders can be saved as favourites, so the second visit takes a handful of taps.
Pickup, delivery and rewards:
Choose a restaurant and a collection time, then walk past the queue to a shelf. Delivery runs through the app in supported areas with the fees that implies. Chipotle Rewards accrues points per order towards free food, and offers arrive in the app rather than by email.
The catch:
A 4.73 average across 10M+ installs is high for a restaurant app and it is largely deserved, but the complaints are worth knowing before you switch. Digital orders are assembled out of sight, and portion size on the mobile line is a long-running grievance among regulars. Delivery pricing sits above the in-restaurant menu before fees are added. And the app is only useful where the chain operates, which is a short list of countries.
Features
Ingredient-by-ingredient order builder with live pricing
Saved favourites for repeat orders
Pickup ordering with a chosen restaurant and collection time
Delivery in supported areas
Chipotle Rewards points, offers and free-item redemptions
Stored card and digital wallet payment at checkout
Pros
Skips the counter queue entirely at peak hours
Customisation is easier on a screen than shouted across a hot line
Rewards and promotional offers only exist on the digital channel
Favourites turn a repeat order into a few seconds of work
Cons
Portion size on mobile orders is a frequent customer complaint
Delivery adds menu mark-ups on top of the usual fees
