A growing movement toward smaller portions is likely to be propelled this year as consumers look for value.
Chipotle on Tuesday said the smaller-portion items on its High Protein Menu promoted in December have resonated with younger guests, in particular. Those consumers tend to be protein crazed, but they’re also looking for more accessible entry points in the menu, said Chipotle CEO Scott Boatwright.
The dishes include a single Adobo Chicken taco with 15 grams of protein that’s priced at an average of $3.50. And Chipotle now offers a cup of chicken, inspired by a popular menu hack. It has 32 grams of protein and is priced at about $3.80.
It’s an approachable price point that “gives the consumer a meaningful way into the brand, but also solves for those people who are looking for a different choice, whether they’re GLP-1 drug users or looking for other dietary restrictions, more high protein or high fiber,” Boatwright said.
More offerings like this will be tested this year, he said. It’s a key part of the chain’s efforts to address a lingering value perception problem.
“When I said that we will harness what is great about Chipotle and reinforce our value proposition to propel us forward, this is it in action,” said Boatwright.
Driving traffic back to Chipotle is a key priority this year.
Chipotle on Tuesday said same-store sales dropped 2.5% in the fourth quarter, including a 3.2% decline in traffic. For the year, comparable sales were down 1.7%, with transactions down 2.9%.
The movement toward smaller portions has been growing for some time, in part because the rising popularity of drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, which dampen appetite. An estimated 1 in 8 adults said they were using GLP-1 drugs in November, according to a poll from health policy research organization KFF. And that number is expected to increase as a pill version of the drugs—which typically involve weekly injections— become more widely available.
But, weight loss or not, many consumers just don’t want to pay for a large portion of food they know they won’t be able to finish.
Olive Garden, for example, tested smaller portions last year and now is expected to roll out the downsized dishes to all units by the end of January.
At a unit in the Washington, D.C. area, for example, Olive Garden’s generously portioned Eggplant Parmesan was priced at $17.99, but a smaller portion was available for $13.49.
The move boosted the chain’s affordability scores. But, fundamentally, officials with parent company Darden said it was about giving guests more options.
Likewise, Boatwright at Chipotle noted that the smaller-portion offerings were not discounted. They were just promoting menu items that have been there all along.
“We’re just celebrating something that’s on the menu that may have little awareness today,” he said.
Initially there was a concern that consumers would trade down to those lower-priced items, Boatwright added. “But we just didn’t see it.”
During the menu launch, extra-protein sales were up 35%. That gives Chipotle the confidence that “the core consumer is not necessarily looking for a smaller, lower-price pointed component to the menu,” he said. “What they are looking for is excellent culinary, excellence in restaurant and digital experiences, and then product that is on brand and on trend.”
Still, some guests are looking to spend less and eat less.
As Chipotle beefs up its marketing this year, the chain might look at ideas like a “Happier Hour,” for example, he said. He did not offer details, but that implies a time of day when smaller-portioned, lower-priced offerings might be available.
Chipotle, of course, also has a fan base looking for bigger portions too.
The chain was under fire in 2024 for skimping on protein portion sizes, which the brand was forced to address by directing team members to give bigger scoops, a move that resulted in higher food costs.
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