Ottawa, IL — Chipotle Mexican Grill is officially set to open a new restaurant in Ottawa, following final approval from the Ottawa City Council on Tuesday evening. The council’s decision came after the city’s plan commission gave a positive recommendation last week.
The new fast-casual eatery will be built on a long-vacant parcel at 106 W. Etna Road, situated between Thorntons gas station and Tapatios restaurant.
Unlike traditional Chipotle locations, the Ottawa site will feature a mobile order pickup window—known as a “Chipotlane”—instead of a standard drive-thru. Customers will place their orders in advance using the Chipotle app or website and will receive a designated time to pick up their meals.
“It’s not a typical drive-thru,” said Michael Cairo, the property owner, during last week’s plan commission meeting. “You don’t wait in line to order. You’re told when to pull up after placing an order through the app.”
In addition to the pickup lane, the restaurant will have four designated parking spots in front of the building for customers retrieving mobile orders. The site’s design will encourage drivers to loop around the building to exit smoothly.
The Chipotle will occupy one half of a commercial duplex planned for the property. City officials expressed enthusiasm over the development, noting that the site has remained unused for several years.
As of now, there is no confirmed timeline for when construction will begin.
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