Well, ya know what? Hope that 10% savings really helped you. Because between diminishing portions, diminishing quality, raised prices, and health issues from contaminated food over the years, I've stopped going. Like, completely. Used to get it once a week or so. Now I haven't had it since before the pandemic.
And I'm not the only one. My local chipotle in 2005 would have a line wrapped out the door, and down the plaza to 2 shops down. Just a continuous line, at all times, and you KNEW it'd be 45 minutes before you get your food.
Now most of the time when I walk by, I'll glance inside and see no line at all. I could walk right in, and order. No waiting. I COULD do that.....but still no.
I said this in another thread but Everytime I've gone to as chipotle to fix something as part of my job, the kitchen area has always been disgusting. Like brown water on the floor disgusting.
lol, it's usually just rotted food, pressed into surfaces and not properly cleaned, uncleaned drains so your not able to properly rinse the floors and whatnot, gross but not quite that gross
Like the other person said, it's dirt, rotten food, unkept drains. It's not poo or anything that disgusting but still way beyond what I consider acceptable quality.
There are three restaurants I distinctly remember long-term as health risks: Chipotle, Chi-Chis (decades ago), and Jimmy Johns.
The first, I still consider a risk. The second is long gone, and exists only as branding for salsa and the like. The latter, made a concerted effort to get rid of the one risky part of their product which couldn't be cooked or otherwise sterilized (sprouts, by definition) and to my knowledge hasn't had a large-scale problem since.
JJs is the only one that handled it even remotely correctly, after either the first or second outbreak, by straight removing the risk. They're also the only one of the two remaining above that I'll patronize. I've never eaten Chipotle, and it strikes me as highly unlikely that I ever will.
I tried going to Jimmy Johns a few months ago. Now granted, I know each location is franchised, and your millage may vary, blah blah blah......
That out of the way, I walked in, looked at the prices, and walked back out. They wanted $26 for a sub. More if you add chips and a drink. I looked over at the guy eating his sub at a table, and it looked THIN.
I just said "fuck that. I'm not paying $26 for something half as big as what subway charged $5 for about 10 years ago. And when you consider it's half the size, it would be more like $2.50 10 years ago.
Now this sub place wants $26. For a god damned fast food sandwich.
So I walked into subway, and for a similiar sandwich (unsure if their portions are reduced) they wanted $16 for a sandwich.
These fast food places realize that their entire business model relied on speed, and CHEAP, right??? Half the time I feel like I could have went to a sit down place like red robin for similar prices. Maybe not a fancy sit down resteraunt, but one of those chains, like red robin, bw3, applebees, ect.
OH! And thats the other thing. These fast food places now on their screen ask for a tip. FUCK THAT. Thats not a place tipping is acceptable. I'm not sitting down. You're not my waitress. You're handing me food in a bag over a counter.
Or the one that REALLY pissed me off. Asking to tip at the self checkout at ALDIs. WHO THE HELL AM I TIPPING???
Woah, that's absolutely insane. Subway has always struck me as a little pricey for what they offer, but they're also dead consistent which counts for something.
JJs, no way I'd spent $26 for a sandwich of any size.
At those prices (or McDonald's prices these days, TBH), I'd just as soon sit down and also tip for basically the same amount of money with better quality food.
Self-checkout tipping has never made sense to me. I haven't done the deep dive research, but I suspect that since the tips are not directed at an employee, it's an easy way for the business itself to get tips w/o being in violation of tip theft laws. No intended employee recipient == free-for-all and business can grab the cash.
More that they've had a number of food safety issues over the years, and seem not to have taken any definitive steps to resolve that - as opposed to e.g., JJ's who got rid of the sprouts, since they were entirely unable to be cooked/sanitized/etc.
People who are on the spectrum get comfortable with certain meals and consider it safe. Like, it's consistent. New foods and flavors really mess with them.