How Does Chipotle's 'Chipotlane' Mobile Drive-Thru Work?

There is nothing worse than seeing a long line at a fast food restaurant when you're starving. Luckily, at Chipotle, your days of waiting in line might just be over. In 2018, the popular Mexican chain restaurant wanted to grow its business and offer a way for customers to skip the line in-store. Chipotle began to create the concept of a "Chipotlane," a mobile order pick-up window. This is not to be confused with your typical fast food drive-thru, especially since Chipotle is considered fast-casual, not fast food. The Chipotlane is meant to be strictly for pick-up — there are no menus or speakers to order your food, unlike a drive-thru.

To experience the Chipotlane for yourself, you'll need to download the Chipotle app or go to the Chipotle website. Through there, you can place your order for pickup in the Chipotlane. While this mobile pickup window is not available at all Chipotle locations yet, in November 2024, Chipotle opened its 1,000th Chipotlane. The strictly-for-pick-up window took some time for customers to get used to, and customer confusion was one of the biggest challenges the chain experienced when it first introduced the concept.

While there are pros to having an express pickup lane at Chipotle, there are many customers who are not happy with the new addition. The Chipotlane was implemented to not only drive the restaurant's sales but also create convenience for its customers. However, customers have claimed the Chipotlane is extremely slow and causes mishaps. Many of the complaints involve customers having to pull around through the drive-thru again because they arrived before their order was ready. Chipotle has received backlash in the past for skimping on portions, and if the Chipotlane is adding chaos to the kitchen, then this may also be an issue.

Chipotle employees have voiced that the Chipotlane is frustrating and difficult to navigate for them as well. Too many orders get placed at once, causing a back-up in the lane and a slew of angry customers. That said, the Chipotlane is still a fairly new concept that has yet to fully work out the kinks. The pickup window was extremely helpful during the COVID-19 pandemic, offering customers a contactless experience without having to leave their cars. While this may not be the quickest fast food drive-thru or express lane at the moment, hopefully, one day it will get there.