Monday, January 30, 2012

Chipotle Coming?


According to the A'ville Daily blog, Chipotle's set to take over the storefront which was most recently home to Winston's Internet Cafe (at Clark and Argyle).  We love Chipotle, and hate empty storefronts, so we're hoping the news turns out to be true!  How about you?

Just for the record:  Uptown and Edgewater are the official neighborhood designations, separated by Foster.  Andersonville is an unofficial neighborhood designation, and straddles both Edgewater and Uptown.  So businesses can be located in both Andersonville and Uptown.

25 comments:

  1. As great as it is to fill an empty store front, I don't think another mass-market fast-food place is going to improve, much less maintain the quality of life in Andersonville or Uptown. You love Chiptole, huh? Then you must love McDonald's, too, because they own it.

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  2. I love Chipotle. McDonald's hasn't been a part of Chipotle since 2006. Regardless, I also love McDonald's from time to time... I'm not sure if that's going to breed some kind of character judgment or insults, but it's true. I also love Tank Noodle on Argyle (it might be the reason I moved to this neighborhood) and I love both the Green Mill and Fat Cat. People are always going to have their pretentious opinions on chains, but Chipotle does a good job and I don't think they pretend to be anything they're not.

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  3. I'm pretty excited about this. I like their food, and it will bring traffic to the neighborhood. Some people look down on chain restaurants (I even know people who won't eat at Let Us Entertain You restaurants because they're not "authentic" enough), but chain restaurants get big because many people like to eat at them.

    Now, when people jonesing for a burrito go to google maps to find the nearest Chipotle, the Clark and Argyle location will pop up,bringing new customers to the neighborhood. Who will then become aware of any independently owned restaurants nearby.

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  4. Nice to see, but this stretch of Clark hasn't had a problem filling retail in a long time. Re: chains in general, they are 100x more tolerable when they make an effort to blend into the urban fabric...think the potbelly's north on clark, as opposed to forcing bland suburban sprawl like the McDonald's on Sheridan. No reason this won't be a success.

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  5. QRBNST - this isn't lincoln park it is uptown. slap a smile on your face and get over yourself. i for one am thrilled. it's a business taking over an empty store front. if you want a swanky little cafe to open in its place why don't you get from behind your computer and open one yourself. i used to love this blog but people like you...

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  6. This is great. There are a TON of independently owned places in this area. I know that is the reason a lot of people live here, but I don't think one national chain is going to ruin that. I can't wait to have a Chipotle close. Might have to start working out more though...

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  7. For the sake of a non-boring conversation, I think QRBNST has a point...the this isn't Lincoln Park rhetoric by Melvin is somewhat ironic, not only because the "this isn't Lincoln park" language has been used by the worst element of this neighborhood in the past but also because this is the exactly type of development you do see in Lincoln Park, mass market and designed to appeal to the broadest demographic. Again, I have no major issues with this development but I and many others would ideally like to see growth of more eclectic and local businesses (Rokito's, B&N) or a Wicker Park, Lincoln Square or Logan Square path as opposed to a Lincoln Park path. The development for the sake of development line would be so much more meaningful if people used it with any consistency.

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  8. A fair mix of corporate and 'mom & pop' organizations is the healthiest type of development because there is greater appeal to all rather than the bias and select. I like Chiptole, I like non-corporate restaurants too. In the wise words of the Who: "Too much of anything, is too much for me!"

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  9. Well, if y'all wanted more "locally owned" etc. businesses, why didn't you patronize this corner when it was Winston's? Tasty pastries, gourmet coffee & tea, bottled drinks that are not easily available elsewhere, cheap/free internet access...just the kind of place that SHOULD have been a success in this nabe, but somehow wasn't.
    Maybe if they would have had a limited liquor license after 6:00 pm, "juiced" up the coffee drinks, and brought in live entertainment on weekends?

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  10. For all the A'ville peeps that don't want a Chipotle, great! We'll take them here in Buena Park. Chipotle, feel free to occupy the old KFC space, it even has parking available. :D

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  11. Chipotle is about as benign of a chain presence as one could hope to find. In terms of quality of ingredients and sustainable practices, Chipotle is better than virtually any independent Mexican taqueria. That's not to say the food is necessarily better, but at the same time, Chipotle offers a product that's at least as good as many "authentic" taquerias.

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  12. I like the way you think, Al!

    Chick-Fil-A would also be welcomed with my open arms.

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  13. By the way, setting aside any debate over the merits of chains, there are no worthwhile taquerias within easy walking distance. All of the Mexican fast food places within a mile of me (near Wolcott/Winnemac) are mediocre AT BEST. Poor quality ingredients and indifferent preparation. If an independent taqueria opened nearby that offered superior quality, we wouldn't even be discussing Chipotle as there would be no market for one. So by all means, if you're one of those whining about corporate encroachment, put your money where your mouth is and invest in an independent taqueria.

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  14. Never been to a Chipotle don't think this will change that. (Nor would one at Broadway/Buena.) The irony of having the homophobic chic-fil-et in the very gay friendly neighborhood could be interesting. Think they'd fund protesters whilst the parade marched by?

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  15. @Patrick - now you're talking! Chick-Fil-A! MNNNNNNNN chicken minis for breakfast......

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  16. I love Chipotle and am excited to have one closer than the ones on Belmont. I agree with quicksloth that the taquerias around here haven't won me over. The one by Carol's has not been kind to me. Mr. Salsa isn't anything I would go out of my way for.

    Rokito's is excellent, but pricier than the rest. It is worth it though.

    Personally, a place like Chipotle stands apart from taquerias. I classify it as it's own thing. If I want mexican, I will go to Rokito's, if I crave Chipotle I will go to Chipotle. Personally, they are different cravings.

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  17. Bradely...LOL.. Amen... I would personally lead the protests against Chic-Fil-A if it ever tried to open on the northside... they are nothing but haters...and anyone that tries to rationalize eating there that isn't a right-wing Republican is being dishonest to their belief system..

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  18. Melvin i like that slap a smile on your face comment. I was a late adapter to chipotle, Ive never been a major fast foodie, but chipotle is actually decent fast food, good use of this storefront IMHO.

    I second quicksloth's observation, chipotle is a benign necessary evil. Its a better mexican version of a subway.

    I think it was ten years after I noticed chipotle that I finally tried one, thats how anti chain i am, but hey I cant quarrel with their success and decent food.

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  19. QRBNST I know your argument is one made by some of the people in neighborhoods and I would ask you to explain why the local property owners of these vacant buildings have to go without rent for months or years just because you don't like the new tenant to have a national presence? I would also suggest you survey some of the property owners that had local businesses in their properties that did fail- ask them how much rent went unpaid before these "local" owners finally closed their doors. If you want to protect neighborhood people, why aren't you concerned with the landlords of these buildings?

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  20. At some point, Chipotle's aggressive expansion will up end the company and its investors. Chipotle's investors expect an annual 10 to 15% growth and get it from expansion. Eventually, there will be little room for expansion and when sales no longer grow at a clip, investors will dump it.

    Same thing has happened with Starbucks closing stores after years of expansion.

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  21. Chipotle is a garbage product. I have been served raw steak meat, and nearly sent to the hospital from spoiled guacamole. Never again Chipotle for me !

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  22. @melvin: your comment clearly shows demonstrates a bias, as well as an assumption by you of my own views which I have neither stated nor suggested.

    I was a frequent customer of Winston's versus the Starbucks up the street specifically because it was locally owned and not corporately owned or a franchise.

    Also, locally-based businesses do a better job of keeping money spent at those businesses in the local communities, compared to national chains.

    @Jorge Chicago: The business decisions made by the failed businesses and the landlords are exactly those, their decisions. I'm also free to express my disappointment in a commercial landlord's choice of tenants.

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  23. Has this even been confirmed? Seems like all of the buzz is coming from one source: Aville Daily. Has any OTHER source seen evidence that a Chipotle is opening or was it just one source spreading wishful thinking?

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  24. Today, on Aville Daily's FB Page:

    John Blue
    Just rode by the old Clark's on Clark/Winston cafe. There's a for rent sign in there now.. Perhaps Chipolte isn't happening?
    Like · · 5 hours ago
    A-Ville Daily Sadly it seems as though it was a false rumor. The company is planning a bunch of new locations this year though and we sit smack-dab in the middle of a Chipotle void so it seems inevitable that there will be one in the area soon.
    5 hours ago

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