If you never associated Chipotle with tattoos, you might want to start now

Chipotle Mexican Grill just brought back its popular and rather unique buy-one-get-one (BOGO) free meal promotion. For the second year, the chain offered this promotion for one hour on Friday, March 13, to celebrate a specific type of customer- those who are rocking tattoos. The “Tattoo BOGO” campaign was run from 3 to 4 PM local time at participating restaurants across the U.S. and Canada. 

Chipotle confirmed that the deal simply requires customers to purchase one full-priced entrée and show a tattoo in person during the promotional hour. According to Newsweek, the official conditions required one tattoo-wearing customer for each free item. 

Now here is the part that got the internet buzzing: Chipotle said a “tattoo” could mean real, temporary, drawn-on, or another creative iteration invoking tattoos, all at the discretion of the restaurant staff. It made the promotion super accessible, whether you’re fully inked or just want to doodle something on your arm for a free burrito.

If only my mum were as happy about my tattoos

The inspiration behind this fun promotion is pretty cool. It stems from the Friday the 13th “flash tattoo” tradition, where tattoo shops often offer small, pre-designed tattoos to mark the day. Chipotle’s campaign also draws from the phrase “tatted like a Chipotle bag,” which stems from a viral post that compared Adam Levine’s patchwork tattoos with the designs on a Chipotle bag. Chipotle took that comparison and ran with it, culminating in the BOGO offer.

To kick things up a notch, Chipotle even partnered with hip-hop star Swae Lee for this year’s event. They created limited-edition temporary tattoo flash sheets, which were exclusively available at the Midtown Miami restaurant today. 

The very first Chipotle tattoo BOGO promotion happened in 2025, and it’s unclear right now if we’ll see it again in 2027. However, considering how much fun this campaign is, I hope it does make a return. If you, you have a whole year to plan your trip to Chipotle. 

Considering that Cipotle has been busy growing, opening 334 company-owned restaurants in 2025, with 257 of those locations featuring a “Chipotlane,” or drive-thru option, the options to get your tatted treat are endless. Hopefully, the company grows this promotion into something that will be sustainable. 

Chipotle also really needs the good buzz right now after growing dissatisfaction about their portion sizes and deliveries. One customer took to TikTok to record an infuriating interaction with a Chipotle manager after his delivery order for a chicken burrito bowl came without the Chicken. Another mom took to TikTok to tell everyone about the crazy mix-up she had when she ordered a large chips with her guacamole.