Why Chipotle's Relationship Meme Might've Gone Too Far On Twitter

If you're a Chipotle regular, you may appreciate how quickly you can get that next burrito bowl by using the brand's app and paying with your side-earned crypto-cash. While it's true that Chipotle is moving into the future at lightning speed with numerous technological advancements, the company's social media presence, specifically on Twitter, hasn't had the same consistent support from Chipotle fans.

Every major brand needs a way to stand out and Chipotle has taken to the phrase "red flag" in past (and recent) tweets, for better or worse. While the fast-paced restaurant first tweeted the phrase back in 2015 with little backfire, the following year the company tweeted "Red flag: They eat a burrito with a knife and fork" and received mixed responses from Twitter users.

One user tweeted a connection between Chipotle and Salmonella while another user posted that the red flag was E.coli contamination. While this is a classic case of an innocent tweet gone awry, the claims aren't necessarily untrue.

As of March 2022, Chipotle has had more than a handful of allegations against them for Foodborne illnesses spanning over 10 years since 2008 including Hepatitis-A, Norovirus, and Salmonella among others (per Food Poisoning News). Chipotle may have gone too far with tweets in the past, but they're still moving full speed ahead and the company's most recent tweet regarding "red flags" has just caused another stir of commentary from Twitter users.

Yesterday on Twitter, Chipotle tweeted "Those red flags look kinda pink when they remember your Chipotle order." While the standard definition of "red flag" has political origins, it also means a sign of danger. There are also a lot of connections in modern-day society between red flags in relationships and domestic violence (via Cleveland Clinic).

Taking all of that into consideration, you may understand why some social media users were annoyed by the tweet. One user aired out their distaste with sarcasm, while another called the brand out for advocating domestic abuse.

Apart from that, some Twitter users took the tweet as an opportunity to call out Chipotle's pay policy. One tweeted "red flags burst into flames when they don't pay their workers a living wage" while others wrote similar responses.

Again, Chipotle may be regretting the tweet due to the hints of truth laced within these pay-related comments. There may be some secrets Chipotle doesn't want you to know, but the brand paying over $20 million dollars to past workers for time off and sick leave violations is public information (via The New York Times). There are certain unspoken social graces when posting on social media and Chipotle is walking a fine line between being appropriate and taking its tweets a tad too far. You be the judge.