Independent profile — not affiliated with Chipotle
Chipotle
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. is the Newport Beach, California operator of the Chipotle restaurant chain, Chipotle Rewards and gift cards. This page lists the company's own customer-care routes, a 2025 California gift-card judgment, the 2026 CDC and FDA Salmonella outbreak investigation, a 2020 federal food-safety case, BBB and Trustpilot figures as displayed on 2026-10-16, and 20 older complaints from the usacomplaints.com archive.
Complaints & Reviews on USAComplaints
USAComplaints currently maintains 20 historical complaints about Chipotle, published between 2007 and 2013. No approved complaints have been published on this site during the last three years. For a current reputation snapshot, see the independent sources below.
- Acial discrimination
- Food Poisoning
- Beef in my chicken orde
- Rude Service
- Ad atttitude and discrimination
- Attitude / Time constraint
- Ad customer service
- Ad guac
- Hai
- Burrito
- Grasshopper in Burrito!
- Poor Customer Service-Bad Ingredients
- Food
- Please Reprimand this Employee
- The rice was not cooked all the way
- Complaint - Carnitas Burrito
- Debit/Credit Card fraud
- Injured due to lack of WET FLOOR sign, was called a "w
- More horrendous service from the low class psychos that work at chipotle
- Rude, obnoxious to customers, screw food up on purpose Ripoff
Complaint Themes
Independent Sources
Shown for context — not merged with USAComplaints' own numbers.
Contacts
- Official website: https://www.chipotle.com/
- Customer Care (1-800-CHIPOTLE): 800-244-7685
- Corporate office (Form 10-K): 949-524-4000
- Gift card cash-back portal: https://www.chipotle.com/gift-card-cashback
Locations
| Type | Address |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | 610 Newport Center Drive, Suite 1100 Newport Beach CA 92660 |
Chipotle complaints: where to go for order problems, refunds, Rewards and gift cards
This page was checked on 2026-10-16. Chipotle's Contact Us page (chipotle.com/contact-us) is a Common Questions page with a 'Contact Support' link and an 'Ask Pepper' chat option. Its answer on delivery issues reads: 'If you placed your order through chipotle.com or the Chipotle app, our team is ready to help. For fastest service you can chat with Pepper or call 1-800-CHIPOTLE. For issues or questions about orders from one of our delivery partners (DoorDash, UberEats, Postmates or GrubHub) please contact them directly for help.'
- Cancelling or changing an order. The company's answers say: 'When you submit an order, it's sent directly to our restaurant crew, so we're unable to cancel.' For delivery orders it says orders cannot be cancelled or modified after submission, and that 'Our delivery partners have the same policy.'
- Rewards points. The page says: 'Points usually appear within 30 minutes but may take up to 24 hours. If they're still not there after that time, our Customer Care team should be able to sort things out for you. Just be sure you have your receipt handy.' It also says 'Points cannot be returned after you've selected to use them' in the Rewards Exchange, and 'It's not possible to transfer points or merge accounts at this time.'
- Gift card balances. The company answer to 'How do I get cash back for my Chipotle gift card balance?' says: 'Chipotle gift cards with a balance of less than $10 ($15 in California) are eligible to receive a payout of the unused balance,' via a cash-back form, with the payout 'sent via bank transfer or check.' A California district-attorney settlement on this subject is described in the regulator section below.
- Legal terms. The Terms of Use (last updated August 13, 2025 on the live page) contain a Dispute Resolution section that describes an arbitration agreement, a jury trial waiver and a waiver of class, collective and representative actions 'to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law'. The Terms also say any claim 'MUST BE NOTICED WITHIN ONE (1) YEAR AFTER THE FIRST OCCURRENCE' of the event it is based on and that this period 'IS NOT SUBJECT TO TOLLING', and that 'Either you or we may elect to have a Dispute heard in small claims court' if it proceeds individually. They require a written pre-arbitration notice from the party asserting a Dispute and are governed by New York law, except for the arbitration agreement. Read the section on the Terms page before relying on any summary.
- Card charges you do not recognize. The card issuer or bank has its own dispute process in addition to Chipotle's customer care.
- Food-safety concerns. Illness from a restaurant meal can also be reported to the local health department; see the regulator section below for the 2026 Salmonella outbreak investigation by CDC and FDA and the 2020 federal case on record.
Who operates Chipotle
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. is a Delaware corporation whose principal executive office is at 610 Newport Center Drive, Suite 1100, Newport Beach, California 92660 (Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, filed February 4, 2026). The 10-K is signed by Scott Boatwright as Chief Executive Officer and Director.
The 10-K says that as of December 31, 2025 the company owned 3,938 Chipotle restaurants in the United States and 104 international restaurants, and that it is 'one of the largest restaurant companies that owns and operates all our restaurants in the U.S. and Canada', unlike peers that franchise. It reports 125,408 employees working in its U.S. restaurants. BBB's raw page data gives a business start and incorporation date of 2000-05-31.
The 10-K also says the company had 14 international partner-operated restaurants, which it does not own. For U.S. orders placed through chipotle.com or the app, the Contact Us page lists chat with Pepper and 1-800-CHIPOTLE; for orders from DoorDash, UberEats, Postmates or GrubHub it says to contact those partners directly.
Gift card cash-out judgment, 2026 Salmonella outbreak and 2020 food-safety case
California district attorneys, gift cards (October 2025). The Sonoma County District Attorney's release dated October 23, 2025 says that, with the district attorneys of Los Angeles, Shasta and Ventura counties, it announced that Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. 'has entered into a Stipulated Judgment and will pay $246,000 in civil penalties, restitution, and costs to resolve allegations of violating California's gift card redemption law.' The complaint, filed in Ventura County Superior Court, 'alleged that Chipotle unlawfully denied consumers the right to cash out gift cards with balances of less than $10.' The Final Judgment Pursuant to Stipulation (Ventura County Superior Court Case No. 2025CUMC051343, linked from the Sonoma release) was signed by Judge Dana K. Caudill on October 9, 2025 and is stamped filed October 17, 2025. It orders $145,467.04 in civil penalties, $12,000 in cy pres restitution paid to the California Consumer Protection Prosecution Trust Fund (the parties stipulated that direct restitution to consumers was impractical), and $88,532.96 in investigative costs. The judgment says it 'does not constitute evidence, or an admission, by Defendant of liability'. For four years from its effective date Chipotle must maintain a website portal for gift-card cash-out requests, add a notice to gift cards beginning no later than six months after the effective date, and not use portal information for marketing, advertising, or loyalty or rewards programs unless the consumer separately consents. The judgment's cash-out threshold is a balance under $10; the company's own cashback page states $10 ($15 in California). Both are shown as the sources state them.
Salmonella Javiana outbreak, summer 2026 (CDC and FDA). CDC's final update dated October 2, 2026 says the outbreak is over and reports 488 cases in 34 states, 65 hospitalizations among 434 people with information available, and no deaths. It says that of 308 people interviewed, 281 (91%) 'reported eating at a Mexican-style restaurant before their illness, including Chipotle Mexican Grill and QDOBA', and that 36 illness clusters were identified at 31 Chipotle locations in 7 states and 5 QDOBA locations in 2 states. CDC states that epidemiologic and traceback data showed jalapeño peppers from Sinaloa, Mexico, distributed by Coast Citrus Distributors, 'may have been contaminated with Salmonella Javiana'. FDA's outbreak page, opened 2026-10-16, says Chipotle and QDOBA both received product imported by Coast Citrus Distributors, that 'Chipotle switched their jalapeño supplier for impacted stores beginning on 7/20/2026', and that, given those actions, FDA does not consider there to be a current ongoing risk from these establishments. In a Form 8-K (Item 7.01) filed August 5, 2026, Chipotle said the following, which is the company's statement: 'we proactively removed the jalapeños from our restaurants and replaced them with product from different growers'; it also said it is cooperating with public health authorities. These are the agencies' and the company's descriptions; this page does not state a finding or violation by Chipotle.
U.S. Department of Justice, foodborne illness (April 21, 2020). The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California announced that Chipotle 'has agreed to pay a $25 million criminal fine and institute a comprehensive food safety program to resolve criminal charges that it adulterated food that sickened more than 1,100 people across the United States from 2015 to 2018.' It was charged with two counts of violating the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and a deferred prosecution agreement was filed; the release describes the $25 million as 'the largest fine ever imposed in a food safety case' and says that 'If the company complies with the deferred prosecution agreement for three years, the government will move to dismiss the criminal information.' The release quotes the company's admission in the agreement: 'From approximately 2015 to 2018, Chipotle faced at least five food safety incidents at various restaurants around the country, which stemmed primarily from store-level employees' failure to follow Chipotle's food safety policies and procedures'. The release also quotes U.S. Attorney Nick Hanna on the company's food-safety spending since 2015. The criminal docket was not opened for this page, so whether a dismissal was entered is not stated here.
What the archive and outside sites show
The usacomplaints.com archive has 20 approved complaints linked to Chipotle, posted between 2007 and 2013. They describe service at individual restaurants (rudeness, wait times, missing portions), food-quality issues (a hair, insects, undercooked rice, moldy cilantro, a suspected illness), allegations of discrimination, one slip-and-fall, and one report of unauthorized card charges. They are individual accounts that have not been independently verified, and they are not a measure of how Chipotle performs today. See the themes list for keyword counts.
BBB. As displayed on 2026-10-16, the BBB profile for Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc (Newport Beach headquarters listing) shows 'NOT a BBB Accredited Business', a BBB Rating of 'Not Rated' with the reason that the business 'is in the process of responding to previously closed complaints', 1,040 complaints in the last 3 years (303 in the last 12 months), and 1.14 out of 5 stars from 140 customer reviews. BBB also lists hundreds of separate restaurant-level files that are not counted here.
Trustpilot. As displayed on 2026-10-16, the Trustpilot page for www.chipotle.com shows 1.6 from 971 reviews and an 'Unclaimed profile'. Trustpilot says it does not fact-check reviews.
These figures come from different sources with different methods and are not combined.
Legal proceedings disclosed in SEC filings
The latest disclosure checked on 2026-10-16 is Chipotle's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 (filed 2026-07-31). Under Litigation it says the company is 'involved in various claims and legal actions, such as wage and hour, wrongful termination and other employment-related claims, slip and fall and other personal injury claims, advertising and consumer claims, privacy claims, and lease, construction and other commercial disputes, that arise in the ordinary course of business', and that it does 'not believe that the ultimate resolution of any pending or threatened actions of these types will have a material adverse effect'. That is management's statement.
The same note describes investor litigation: a purported shareholder class action, Michael Stradford v. Chipotle et al., in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, alleging that statements and omissions about portion sizes were materially false and misleading, as well as 'purportedly improper insider trading by the individual defendants'. According to the 10-Q, on December 18, 2025 the court granted Chipotle's motion to dismiss the first amended complaint with leave to amend, plaintiffs filed a second amended complaint on January 20, 2026, and Chipotle has moved to dismiss it. Two shareholder derivative actions are consolidated as In re Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. Stockholder Derivative Litigation, and the 10-Q says the consolidated derivative action 'has been stayed pending further proceedings in the Stradford matter'. The same note states an accrued legal liability balance of $29,642 thousand at June 30, 2026 and $11,438 thousand at December 31, 2025 'in relation to various legal matters', not tied to any specific case. These are allegations by shareholders, not consumer-complaint findings, and the dockets were not separately opened for this page.
Is Chipotle Legitimate?
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. is a Delaware corporation that files annual and quarterly reports with the SEC and reported 3,938 company-owned U.S. restaurants at the end of 2025. Its principal executive office is 610 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, and its Contact Us page lists chat and 1-800-CHIPOTLE. BBB lists the headquarters file as not accredited with a 'Not Rated' status and 1,040 complaints in three years, and Trustpilot shows 1.6 from 971 reviews, both as displayed on 2026-10-16. Public records also include a 2026 CDC and FDA Salmonella outbreak investigation that names Chipotle among the restaurants where cases reported eating, a 2020 federal food-safety criminal case resolved with a deferred prosecution agreement, and a 2025 California gift-card judgment, all described above.
Court & Public Records
| Case | Authority | Dates | Type | Outcome | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| People of the State of California (Ventura, Los Angeles, Shasta and Sonoma County District Attorneys) v. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. Docket 2025CUMC051343 | Superior Court of California, County of Ventura | — | Judgment | Judgment entered Final Judgment Pursuant to Stipulation, signed by Judge Dana K. Caudill on October 9, 2025 and file-endorsed October 17, 2025, resolving allegations that Chipotle unlawfully denied consumers the right to cash out gift cards with balances under $10. It orders $145,467.04 in civil penalties, $12,000 in cy pres restitution to the California Consumer Protection Prosecution Trust Fund and $88,532.96 in investigative costs, plus a four-year injunction requiring a cash-out portal. The judgment states it 'does not constitute evidence, or an admission, by Defendant of liability'. The Sonoma County District Attorney's release describes the total as $246,000 in civil penalties, restitution and costs. | Source |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Chipotle customer service phone number?
Chipotle's Contact Us page says to 'chat with Pepper or call 1-800-CHIPOTLE' for orders placed through chipotle.com or the app (read 2026-10-16). BBB lists the same number as (800) 244-7685. The corporate office number in the Form 10-K is (949) 524-4000.
Can a Chipotle online order be cancelled?
The company's Common Questions say: 'When you submit an order, it's sent directly to our restaurant crew, so we're unable to cancel.' For delivery orders it says it cannot cancel or modify after submission (read 2026-10-16).
How can a small Chipotle gift card balance be cashed out?
The company says gift cards with a balance of less than $10 ($15 in California) are eligible for a payout via its cash-back form, sent 'via bank transfer or check' (Contact Us page, read 2026-10-16). The cashback page (chipotle.com/gift-card-cashback, opened 2026-10-16) says to expect to hear back from Customer Care in approximately 10 business days and that the mailing address must be a non-PO box address. A 2025 California stipulated judgment required Chipotle to provide a portal for balances under $10; the company's page states $15 in California.
What does Chipotle say about missing Rewards points?
The Contact Us page says points 'usually appear within 30 minutes but may take up to 24 hours' and that Customer Care can help after that if the customer has the receipt. It also says points cannot be returned after a Rewards Exchange selection and accounts cannot be merged (read 2026-10-16).
Who handles a problem with a delivery order?
For orders placed through chipotle.com or the Chipotle app, the company says its team can help via chat or 1-800-CHIPOTLE. For orders from DoorDash, UberEats, Postmates or GrubHub, it says to contact those partners directly (Contact Us page, read 2026-10-16).
What was the 2020 federal food-safety case against Chipotle?
On April 21, 2020 the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California announced a $25 million criminal fine and a deferred prosecution agreement on two counts under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, tied to food that sickened more than 1,100 people from 2015 to 2018, according to the release.
What did CDC and FDA report about the 2026 Salmonella outbreak and Chipotle?
CDC's final update of October 2, 2026 reports 488 cases in 34 states and says 281 of 308 people interviewed (91%) reported eating at a Mexican-style restaurant including Chipotle Mexican Grill and QDOBA, with 36 illness clusters at 31 Chipotle locations in 7 states and 5 QDOBA locations in 2 states. CDC and FDA describe Coast Citrus Distributors jalapeños from Sinaloa, Mexico as the product traced; FDA says Chipotle switched its jalapeño supplier for impacted stores beginning 7/20/2026. Chipotle's Form 8-K of August 5, 2026 (company statement) says it removed the jalapeños and replaced them with product from different growers. These are agency and company descriptions, not findings against Chipotle (pages read 2026-10-16).
Do Chipotle website users agree to arbitration?
The Terms of Use (last updated August 13, 2025 on the page read 2026-10-16) contain a Dispute Resolution section describing an arbitration agreement, a jury trial waiver and a class, collective and representative action waiver 'to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law'. The Terms also state a one-year contractual limitations period ('NOT SUBJECT TO TOLLING'), allow either side to elect small claims court for an individual Dispute, require written pre-arbitration notice, and say New York law governs apart from the arbitration agreement. The full text should be read.
What do BBB and Trustpilot show for Chipotle?
As displayed on 2026-10-16, BBB's headquarters file shows 'NOT a BBB Accredited Business', 1,040 complaints in the last 3 years and 1.14 out of 5 stars from 140 reviews; Trustpilot shows 1.6 from 971 reviews and an unclaimed profile. The two sources are not combined.