Like every college-aged male, I love Chipotle. But I have a HUGE bone to pick with the executives that run the company. Before I dive into the intricacies of Chipotle rewards, I want to cover some other common rewards programs.
Although Starbucks is often considered the quintessential rewards program in our great nation, I personally hold a different viewpoint. The way it works is that you earn 2 “Stars” for every $1 spent, and when you accumulate 200 Stars, you earn a complimentary drink of any size. This implies you’d have to spend $100 to get that free drink. While it may not be the most incredible deal, Starbucks does present various chances to collect points through different “challenges.” I must say, though, the golden era of Starbucks Rewards was when they offered a free drink for just 150 Stars. Those were the days!
Chick-fil-A:
You know, one of the rewards programs I absolutely love is the one offered by Chick-fil-A. What’s cool about it is that the more time you spend at their restaurant, the more points you can rack up. When you begin, you get 10 Points for every $1 spent, but as you spend more, the rate increases to 13 Points per $1. It’s pretty solid! As a basic member, you can actually score a free chicken sandwich after spending $80, which isn’t too bad at all. Plus, they serve a piece of Jesus himself with every chicken sandwich.
McDonald’s:
When it comes to rewards programs, McDonald’s reigns as America’s Sweetheart, and for good reason! Here’s the deal: you get a generous 100 points for every $1 you spend, which is already awesome. But wait, there’s more! Once you hit 1500 points (equivalent to $15 spent), you can treat yourself to a free McChicken. Now that’s a real value! Just think about it, after spending $60, you could damn near own the franchise itself, or at least get a Big Mac. McDonald’s truly knows how to make their rewards program enticing.
This is where my beef with Chipotle starts, MCDONALD’S OWNS CHIPOTLE. They simultaneously run the worst AND the best free food rewards programs in the country.
Alright, listen to this: To grab a free entree at Chipotle, you gotta rack up a whopping 1625 points. Now, here’s the breakdown: for every dollar spent, you get 10 points. So, doing the math (Not A High Educated Person), you’d have to shell out a grand total of $162.50 just to get your hands on that precious free bowl. I mean, these numbers are crazy in this economy. Can you believe it? As someone who’s a regular, hitting this joint at least 3 times a week, it would practically take me around FIFTEEN VISITS and close to $170 before I can finally claim my coveted free bowl. It’s both disheartening and mind-boggling.
I will be writing an angry letter to corporate regarding this debauchery and using all of my power (running the verified TFM Twitter account) to fix this problem for everyone in America.
