Review: Downfalls of Working for Chipotle

By Kylie Lenninger

Chipotle Mexican Grill, is a new restaurant that recently opened in Dixon Illinois, and you shouldn’t support them. 

Despite the uprise in popularity, behind the scenes, it’s not as happy as they make everything out to be. Of course, with a new business, there are bound to be problems and it seems one of the main problems is the terrible working conditions.

A manager at the Dixon Chipotle said employees aren’t allowed to answer any press-related questions and can't accept any request to pose for photos. 

An employee who wishes to remain unnamed says “Sometimes things get out of hand.” This situation affects the staff, not necessarily physically but mentally. Supporting the new business will only continue the issues the employees deal with. 

Most of the staff try to work towards a healthy environment, but a majority of the morning staff seem as if they're not excited about being there. The overall facility is generally well maintained but there is an abundance of dishes on the counter. 

“Some of the morning people aren't that into their jobs, that's why a lot got laid off,” but if a huge amount of people weren’t excited or motivated to be there it seems as if that's a failure of the management. Whether it be the wage or the hours, the overall environment seems as if it's not great, and there's no reason to reinforce a terrible working environment. 

The same team member says that they are inconsistent with their scheduling. They call her off of work often and will call her in randomly, especially at night, and for closing. They also seem to call her in when they don’t need the help. 

Despite their inconsistency, the overall lack of employees feels as if it affects how she performs at her job. Whether it be her having “to close everything up front almost every night,” or even how she is “always getting thrown to different places.” She also “helps others even though she doesn’t get help.” 

Another statement from the team member was that there seems to be a common occurrence in the fast food industry. There’s “always that one coworker you're not the biggest fan of,” causing issues or failing to be a part of the team and perform their job.