For a while now I've had this idea to make a purse hook for Chipotle. My good friend Carrie returned from Spain a while ago with a purse hook (see the purse hook site for some photos on the idea if you are unaware of them). This seemed like a really brilliant thing and I started noticing that some bars provide hooks for purses (and other items) under the bar.

The Need for the Hook at Chipotle

Later on, I started noticing the stool+bar situation at Chipotle: pretty atrocious for anyone who has extra things with them. I started tracking meals and restaurants where the lack of hooks under the bar was a problem. There was the time a lady awkwardly moved her purse when I sat down two seats away from her - imagine if the seats were full how awkward a purse on the bar would be. There's the standing room only bar (sorry, fuzzy) in New York where people pile their jackets on the bar because there is no jacket hook under the bar.

Being a problem solver by nature I started to think of ideas for how to build a hook that would fit with the Chipotle style and provide the storage that they need.

My Final Chipotle Style Purse Hook Design

I took some measurements for the hooks of distance between the bar and my knee, etc. Based on these measurements, it appears that hanging a bag or jacket from the bar will not interfere with feet or knees - especially if the hooks are placed between the stool locations on every other stool. This would give everyone one hook without wasting the hook materials.

Here's another photo of the hook "in use".

It's made out of pipe like many of the light fixtures, tables, and bars at Chipotle already are. The total price of the pieces was $10 but I have a feeling that if they were purchased in bulk and if the proper pieces were used the price could get below $5 each (I needed an extra threaded-nipple and reducer because I couldn't find a mounting plate in the right size). I think it probably makes sense to use some sort of glue inside of the threads to prevent people from dismantling them.

My alternate idea was to weld together rebar into a similar shape. The rebar is probably much cheaper, but the welding time would be more expensive. Aesthetically I think I prefer this pipe style to the rebar style.

I'm quite pleased with this. I think that it's style and function are well suited to Chipotle. I hope that they'll start experimenting with and installing these.