Chipotle CEO says it will absorb tariff costs
President Trump’s proposed tariffs on major trading partners are affecting the U.S. economy, but Chipotle plans to keep prices stable for their customers.
Cheddar
Chipotle is bringing back its popular digital game, Burrito Vault, to give away more than 150,000 Buy-One-Get-One free entrée codes ahead of National Burrito Day on April 3.
Beginning at 9 a.m. ET on Monday, March 31, Chipotle Rewards members in the U.S. and Canada can access the Burrito Vault game by visiting UnlockBurritoDay.com.
“Players must guess the exact burrito order combination, ingredient by ingredient, to unlock the bank,” the company said in a news release Monday. “Prizes are available for the first 2,500 Chipotle Rewards members who successfully decipher the Burrito Vault Code each hour.”
Chipotle Rewards members who unlock the vault after all the BOGO codes have been redeemed will receive 25 rewards points in the app, the chain said.
“Last year, our Burrito Vault drove unprecedented fan engagement that resulted in our highest digital transaction day of all time,” said Chris Brandt, Chief Brand Officer, in the news release. “Now, we are giving them another chance to crack the code and score more free burritos.”
According to the fast-casual Mexican food chain, Burrito Vault was played more than 2 million times in 2024 and prizes were claimed in under 20 minutes. This year, the company is changing the winning code every hour to spread the prize drops throughout the duration of the game.
No, Chipotle is not closing
The rumors about Chipotle filing for bankruptcy and closing restaurants in 2025 are just that: rumors.
Claims that circulated on social media last Thursday and Friday about the fast-casual eatery closing appear to have started after Spanish media outlet Unión Rayo published a report about the closure of Farmesa Fresh Eatery, a spinoff venture that Chipotle invested and tested for a few months in 2023.
The story’s promotional image previously showed the Chipotle logo, Newsweek reported. Numerous users took to X to express frustration with the alleged closures.
Chipotle spokesperson Erin Wolford refuted the rumors last week, sharing in a statement that the “false information stemmed from an inaccurate online article confusing Chipotle with a venture it tested in 2023.”
Chipotle reached out to the international site to correct the story and has since received an apology for the “false article” written last week. Unión Rayo did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment last Tuesday.
Contributing: Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY
Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@gannett.com.
