Topics

More

Onward Stats: Chipotle

If there’s one word that everyone automatically associates with Chipotle, at least in State College, it’s line. The Heister Street Chipotle is a busy place, and no matter what day of the week you’re in the market for some chips and guac or what time of day you’re craving a burrito you’re likely going to have to wait in line (well, that is, if it’s open).

If you ever choose to enjoy your burrito, bowl, or salad in the restaurant, you’ve probably wondered how many tortillas and cups of water the place is churning through. We’ve been wondering the same thing, and after seeing how other popular joints function, we figured Chipotle was the next logical destination for one of our journalistic stakeouts. 466 tally marks later, here are some of the most interesting statistics from a Thursdsay night at Chipotle.

Burritos: 28

Bowls: 76

Salads: 8

“For Here:” 24

“To Go:” 87

Ordered online and picked up: 16 (our Editors recommend).

Chips: 15

Guacamole: 19

Cups for soda: 17

Cups for water: 27

People who were too good for cups of water and got bottled: 5

LionCash swipes: 14

Paid with cash: 9

Guys who were not working who literally went into the kitchen to pick their order up: 1

Knee-high Yik-Yak socks: 2 (or as some would say, 1 pair).

Employees staring at us and whispering to each other: 2

Employees who asked what we were doing: 2

Managers who asked what we were doing: 1

Times we were kicked out: I bet you’re wishing this number was 0. Us too.

Most surprising of all was the girl to guy ratio. Not saying anything about being basic, but:

Girls: 48

Guys: 66

We spent exactly one hour sitting in front of the registers at the restaurant (probably a bad location choice). Chipotle served 114 people within that hour, which averages out to 1.9 people every minute, and the average person only had to wait .52 minutes (31.58 seconds) from placing their order to paying for it.

If you’ve been following along with these stat snapshots, you know that we usually include a bonus playlist of what was playing at the restaurant during our stay, but at Chipotle it was just kind of smooth Mexican jazz. I mean, they were probably real songs, but it wasn’t exactly the bumping playlist from Canyon, and my Soundhound didn’t pick any of them up.

There you have it. Finally that notorious Chipotle line makes sense — those employees burn through burritos!

Your ad blocker is on.

Please choose an option below.

Sign up for our e-mail newsletter:
OR
Support quality journalism:
Purchase a Subscription!

About the Author

Staff

Posts from the all-student staff of Onward State.

Penn State Football Hires Colorado State’s Kashif Moore As Wide Receivers Coach

Moore coached Biletnikoff Award finalist Skyler Bell in 2025.

State College Police Department Releases Annual State Patty’s Warning

The department is sharing these rules and expectations in the hope that residents will “refrain from engaging in behaviors that violate the law or University policy.”

‘It’s A Full Circle Moment For Me’: Alum Nina Royer Finally Danced In THON 2026 After Working Behind The Scenes For Years

“I think this is such a beautiful way to cap off my THON experience.”

113kFollowers
68.5kFollowers
4,570Subscribers
Sign up for our Newsletter
Other posts by Onward State

[Live Blog] THON 2026

Follow along with Onward State’s live coverage of the 46-hour event, all For The Kids!

Staff Picks: Who Should Be The THON 2026 National Act?

OS Debates: Should Penn State Football Participate In Friday Night Games?