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

This is a closeup on the hook to understand how it fits together.

This is more or less how the hook would work when hung under the “bar” at Chipotle. It would be screwed in, of course, so you wouldn’t need to hold it there.

today i found some old measurements that i took for the “hook” project.

they are:

Table is 2 hands deep
Stooles are 3 hands apart on center
Knee to table is 1 hand apart
Thigh to table (at the table edge) is 1 hand apart minus a thumb.

Obviously these are dependent on my hand size and thigh width and hip-to-knee vs. knee-to-foot vs. foot-to-bar vs. floor-to-hip.

But, at least they’ll give some good pointers for the hook project.

they replaced the leather on some of the chairs recently so I got a photo of an updated chair with brand new leather on it.

it occurred to me that they do not seem to ever condition the leather. i wonder if putting some conditioner on the leather would help it last longer at the cost of some conditioner getting onto the butts of visitors. if it were applied sunday night and wiped off well then it should be fine…

also, the lady sitting two stools away from me at the bar had her purse on the bar. when I sat down she realized it was taking up too much space.

about the free burrito - well, i got a coupon for one in the mail the other day. i was going to use it today. but i realized that if i used it then i should get guacamole. and my partner loves guacamole. so i want to wait until i’m splitting the burrito with her. so thoughtful, i know.

so, this photo helps provide the motivation for the chipotle hook project. basically the point is this: if i were a woman or a purse carrying man (kretchmar), where would I put my purse? i can stick my vest/jacket on the stool, but what about the stores that have bars and no stools?

i’ve got one prototype done and just need to photograph it and post it here to the site. i’ve got ideas for two more prototypes, but it’s not as good of an idea so i don’t think it’s worth it. maybe i’ll just draw them in a little book and scan that in like all the cool people do…

i took more measurements for my hook project and took some more photos of the first chipotle store

enjoy.