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NYPD's Secret Chipotle Discount Ruined By Muckraking NY Times
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jul 19, 2012
Modified Sep 11, 2013
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Claire Voon / Gothamist
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Jul 19, 2012
Modified Sep 11, 2013
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Today the New York Times made Chipotle's burritos a little less zesty for New York's Finest by reporting that the chain's downtown Brooklyn location near the courthouse gives officers a 50% discount as a courtesy, a deal they're barred by department rules from accepting. The paper's "crying" (as one commenter on Thee Rant puts it) may have produced results: cops didn't appear to be receiving any special discounts during the restaurant's lunch rush today, not that they'd accept them anyway. "I make $140,000," one NYPD officer of over 20 years told us. "Do you really think I'm going to jeopardize my integrity for a sandwich?"
Danielle, a 23-year-old who works nearby, opined, "For [police] to get free shit is bullshit." She ordered a burrito and an iced tea, adding that employees of the DA's office got a 20% discount off membership fees at local gyms.
Though the transactions we witnessed between first responders and Chipotle employees appeared discount-free, the one harried burrito-slinger we spoke with confirmed the policy: "Oh yeah, police officers in uniform get 50% off. A lot of them take it." Now cops who want cheaper burrito bowls may have to start eating at Taco Bell.
The veteran officer, who declined to give his name, explained that discounts came in many forms, not just with black or pinto beans. "There are websites where you can plug in your ID number and print out a discount—what's the difference between that and accepting free coffee from Joe Bodega?" (Or being a member at the Harvard Club?) He echoed the same sentiment that NYPD higher-ups did in the Times' article: that favors can lead to expectations of reciprocation, and that some officers may come to expect more than free food.
Not that you'd have to worry about that with him: "Do I accept stuff? Off the record? No. On the record? No." The officer added that he doesn't even like Chipotle, and was spending lunch with his colleagues at the courthouse: "It's too salty."
With reporting by Carrie Dennis & Claire Voon
Tagged
chipotle
discounts
downtown Brooklyn
freebies
new york times
nypd
thee rant
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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