Chipotle has been one of LikeFolio's biggest winners over the […]
Chipotle Portion Drama: PR Opportunity?
Chipotle is the undeniable king of fast-casual dining.
But growth, while impressive, is showing some signs of slowing.

Web visits have plateaued, maintaining a higher volume vs. peers, but down -9% from last month.

Meanwhile, other fast-casual options including CAVA, SweetGreen (SG) and Wingstop (WING) show YoY growth...slowly chipping away at the burrito giant's dominance.
App data suggests other fast-food chains are growing quicker, too. According to the app store, Chipotle isn't even in the top 10 of downloaded free food and drink apps, trailing Chick-fil-A, McDonald's, Taco Bell, Domino's and Wendy's.
In April we called out a contributing cause for a lack of enthusiasm from consumers: rising prices and a perceived lower quantity of food.
I'm sure you've seen the videos of consumers recording their Chipotle burr-istas ladling in a sliver of rice. Chipotle happiness levels have slid by -5 points on a YoY basis. Shares have traded -7% lower since that post.
The bright side? It looks like the sentiment bleeding has stopped.
Chipotle's CEO was forced to issue a statement, claiming portion sizes were not smaller.

Leadership also empowered employees to give better scoops -- quelling some consumer concerns and also generating tremendous buzz on social media for the company.

Here is what that means for CMG earnings and beyond...
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