Why get engaged at a park or on a beach when you can pop the question at Chipotle?! That’s exactly what California native Chris Piwinski did on Saturday, July 21, when it came time for him to ask his high school sweetheart, Natalie Neach, to marry him, and the couple couldn’t be happier.
“Chipotle has always been an important fixture in our relationship. We met in high school when I was 16 and Natalie was 14, and dated all the way through. Chipotle was always our ‘spot,’” Chris tells Us Weekly. “We have countless memories of great times, long talks, and loud laughs. It was also the place we went when we needed to talk things out or work through tough times. I think I could credit Chipotle for helping keep us from doing the ‘high school breakup’ thing more than once.”
That’s why Chris knew the restaurant chain – specifically a Sacramento location the couple frequently dine at – had to be part of the equation when he asked Natalie to be his wife. He started planning the proposal with Chipotle back in May after reading a news story about a man who ate the restaurant’s food for 400 days straight.
“They were excited to help make the day special for us, and helped coordinate all of the details with the team at the store to reserve a seat for us and helped hide our family and friends who would be watching the whole proposal unfold on a security camera,” Chris says.
But that’s not all the Mexican eatery did to make sure the proposal went off without a hitch. As Chris tells Us, “They also surprised us with an engagement photographer to hide as a fellow Chipotle customer to capture everything.”
In fact, the Chipotle team even hosted an engagement party for the couple, complete with a burrito cake, free chips and guacamole for their family and friends and “She said yes” balloons.
“From our family, friends and colleagues, they just thought the idea was so ‘us’ because they know how much we love Chipotle,” Natalie says of the “incredible” response to the proposal. “Other people dining at Chipotle applauded and came up to us to offer well-wishes after they heard Chris propose, and now hearing the outpouring of support from people we don’t know has been remarkable. It was amazing!”
In a statement to Us, a Chipotle spokesperson says the chain was more than happy to help make Chris and Natalie’s engagement an unforgettable event: “We are so happy for this wonderful couple and are thrilled to have been a part of their special day.”
