Chipotle Just Put an Official Price on Its Most Famous Secret Menu Item Many locations used to ring up the off-menu 'quesarito' as a regular burrito. Now, all locations will charge an extra $3.50.

By Kate Taylor

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Monica Dipres

To the delight of Chipotle employees and the despair of cheap customers, the burrito chain is putting an official price on a secret menu item.

The company recently and without much fanfare standardized pricing for the off-menu "quesarito." Now, the quesadilla-wrapped burrito costs $3.50 more than a typical burrito, despite the only added ingredients being cheese and a second tortilla. Previously, many locations would simply charge customers for the price of a regular burrito, though some would charge for the price of both a burrito and a cheese quesadilla.

Chipotle's communications director Chris Arnold that there are typically no hard and fast rules in how they treat off-menu items. "In the case of the quesarito, people were ordering them with enough frequency, and we'd see confusion among customers from time to time because they could be charged differently when they order it."

Related: Chipotle Raises Prices in San Francisco After Minimum Wage Hike

The quesarito developed a cult following amongst Chipotle lovers who enjoyed the addition of melted cheese to the tortilla wrap. However, it was a major source of annoyance amongst Chipotle employees, as it threw a wrench in the company's speedy assembly-line style.

According to a memo posted by an employee on Twitter, the new standardized process of dealing with customers ordering the quesarito is to inform them of the additional $3.50 charge and then have them step to the side as the quesadilla is warmed on the tortilla press. If customers object to the added charge, employees are instructed to explain that they must account for the additional time needed to make the off-menu item.

Related: Chipotle Is Giving Away Free Burritos to Any Customer Who Plays This Online Game

Kate Taylor

Reporter

Kate Taylor is a reporter at Business Insider. She was previously a reporter at Entrepreneur. Get in touch with tips and feedback on Twitter at @Kate_H_Taylor. 

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Buying / Investing in Business

Big Investors Are Betting on This 'Unlisted' Stock

You can join them as an early-stage investor as this company disrupts a $1.3T market.

Science & Technology

How AI Is Turning High School Students Into the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs

As AI reshapes education, students are turning school problems into products and building the future economy.

Buying / Investing in Business

From a $120M Acquisition to a $1.3T Market

Co-ownership is creating big opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Leadership

My Business Hit $1 Million — Then a $46,000 Mistake Exposed the Biggest Bottleneck to Explosive Growth

How a costly mistake forced me to confront the real barrier to scaling and the changes that unlocked explosive growth beyond $1 million.