Chipotle launches free offer for customers amid struggles

Chipotle recently saw a drop in consumer demand, mirroring a broader slowdown across the fast-food industry. To help combat this shift, it is giving away $1 million worth of freebies for a limited time to win over customers. 

In Chipotle’s fourth-quarter earnings report for 2025, it revealed that its comparable restaurant sales decreased by 2.5% year over year. Placer.ai data also showed that Chipotle visits at same-store locations declined by 1% to 2% during the quarter.

The decline in demand comes after it entered 2025 with a 2% nationwide menu price increase to help offset inflation, which may have driven away some price-conscious consumers.

Especially since between 2019 and 2025, the price of Chipotle’s burrito bowls increased by nearly 50%, according to an analysis from Marketplace. The fast-food chain also faced controversy in 2024 for serving customers skimpy food portions in burrito bowl orders, which later led to a class-action lawsuit from its investors. 

During an earnings call on Feb. 3, Chipotle Chief Financial Officer Adam Rymer said the company expects its comparable sales to be flat this year amid shifting consumer behavior.

“It’s still very early in the year, and consumer trends have been really tough to predict,” said Rymer. 

Chipotle unveils free offer to bring customers back

To help shore up demand amid recent headwinds, Chipotle is offering customers $1 million worth of free entrées on one of the biggest nights in U.S. sports this year: the 2026 Super Bowl, which kicks off on Feb. 8, according to a recent press release. 

To snag the offer, customers will need to keep an eye on Chipotle’s Instagram Reels after the Super Bowl halftime and before the third quarter. 

During that period, Chipotle will drop a post titled “The Chipotle Realest 30,” which will show a text-to-claim code. The first 100,000 fans who text the code to 888222 will receive a free entrée. The post will only be live on Chipotle’s Instagram account for 30 seconds.

The free offer, which is valid until Feb. 12, only applies to a “regular menu entrée item,” such as a burrito bowl, burrito, a single order of three tacos, a salad, or a quesadilla, and it excludes extra protein. Kids’ meals, 3-point meals, single tacos, and catering orders are also excluded from the promotion.

In addition to rolling out free entrées, Chipotle is adding nachos to its digital menu for a limited time. Between Feb. 5 and Feb. 8, customers can order three types of customizable nacho kits called The Game Day Nacho Hacks. 

Customers can expect more offers and major changes in stores

The limited-time offers from Chipotle come at a time when many consumers have been pulling back their spending on eating out as they battle inflated prices, according to a YouGov survey in October. 

How many consumers have cut back on eating out:

• Approximately 37% of U.S. consumers said they are dining out less frequently than they used to a year ago. About 69% these consumers said this is because eating out has become too expensive. 
• About 54% of consumers have altered their dining preferences to save money. While 60% of these consumers said they are choosing cheaper restaurants, 53% said they are seeking discounts or coupons to cut costs.
• Also, 82% feel that restaurant prices have increased in the past 12 months.
• Additionally, 32% believe that prices today are too high relative to quality.
  Source: YouGov

“Although dining out remains a staple for Americans, economic pressures have made consumers more cost conscious,” said Nora Hao, senior sales director at YouGov America, in the report. “Seven in ten consumers say they eat out at least once a month, yet more than a third report doing so less frequently compared to last year, citing rising costs and a greater need to save financially.” 

To address this growing trend, Chipotle said it will double down on limited-time offers this year to attract customers. This includes adding four limited-time offers to its menu, including the return of its highly anticipated Chicken Al Pastor, which drops on Feb. 10.

“Limited-time offers are not just delicious; they yield traffic by bringing in new guests while increasing the frequency of the existing base,” said Chipotle CEO Scott Boatwright during the company’s earnings call on Feb. 3. “Additionally, the LTO-acquired guests demonstrate higher long-term value, maintaining elevated spend and frequency levels throughout the year.”

Chipotle will also add new sauces to the menu this year and continue innovating its sides and beverages. 

The fast-food chain will also revamp its loyalty rewards program this spring by incorporating artificial intelligence to improve the customer experience. In 2025, the program reached more than 21 million active members, which highlights that customers are looking for value. 

Related: Chipotle faces lawsuit for serving ‘inconsistent’ portion sizes

“Currently, about 30% of sales are realized through our rewards platform, and the momentum gives us confidence that there remains significant runway for growth by bringing more guests into the funnel, deepening engagement, and driving sales throughout the year,” said Boatwright.

Chipotle customers should also expect faster service this year, as the fast-food chain is accelerating the rollout of its “high-efficiency equipment package” to “improve speed and consistency” across its restaurants.

“This equipment improves prep by two to three hours, helps eliminate prep time during peak periods, and results in stronger and more consistent throughput execution,” said Boatwright.

The announcement comes after Chipotle began testing a robot, Augmented Makeline, in its stores in 2024, which helps prepare burrito bowls and salad orders. It also began piloting its Autocado robot, which cuts avocados, peels their skin and separates their fruit in 26 seconds through an automated process, freeing up time for workers. 

Chipotle and other fast-food chains face unexpected rivals

In a recent report from Placer.ai, R.J. Hottovy, head of analytical Research at Placer.ai, said that consumer visits to fast-food chains in 2025 were impacted by growing competition from grocery retailers.

“For QSR chains, we believe visits were impacted by a combination of factors — including a shift to differentiated food retailers like Trader Joe’s,” said Hottovy.

“The percentage of fast casual visitors that also visited Trader Joe’s has increased significantly over the past five years,” he added. “Like for Aldi, some of this can be attributed to Trader Joe’s expansion plans, but we believe that some visitors have chosen to substitute some fast casual lunch visits for value grocers.”

More Food + Dining:

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He also said that for fast-food chains to succeed in 2026, they must emphasize value to appeal to customers and innovate their in-store experience. 

“To succeed in this increasingly saturated and price-sensitive environment, operators must execute a delicate balancing act: aggressively defending their value proposition to fight off grocery competitors, while simultaneously reinvesting in the in-store experience to justify the visit,” he said. 

“Whether it is through the tactical ‘sequencing’ of limited-time offers, the aggressive tiered pricing of casual dining, or the revitalization of physical dining rooms, the winners of 2026 will be the brands that give consumers a distinct, irrefutable reason to choose dining out over staying in,” he added. 

Related: Kroger adds generous offer for customers as grocery prices rise