Chipotle and Qdoba coming to Duluth


Chipotle Mexican Grill | Qdoba Mexican Grill

Apparently it’s really happening.

  • Chipotle will open at Miller Hill Mall.
  • Qdoba has announced it’s coming, but not when or where.
  • Big Burrito will be locating in the BlueStone Lofts area by UMD, according to the Statesman.

Update: The UMD Statesman report seems to have been in error. Numerous other sources have reported it is Qdoba that is locating in Bluestone Commons. Both Qdoba and Chipolte are expected to open in summer 2014.

So here’s one more post where folks can comment about how having chain burrito joints come to Duluth either completely fulfills us as people and as a city, or how everyone who gets excited about it is some kind of rube. Get it all out of your system now, if you haven’t already on Facebook.

Duluth News Tribune: Chipotle, Qdoba restaurant chains plan to open locations in Duluth
Fox 21 News: Qdoba and Chipotle both coming to Duluth
Eyewitness News: “Two burrito chains coming to Duluth
Northland’s NewsCenter: Chipotle to open at Miller Hill Mall in March of 2014

39 Comments

waferdog

about 11 years ago

I think we know how I feel.

Mike Scholtz

about 11 years ago

Thanks! But I do feel like I already got it out of my system on Facebook.

piker

about 11 years ago

This is where I write about how this sustains my claim that there's a demand for quality casual Mexican food in Duluth. This is often filled in other places by Mexican fast food (not Taco Bell/John, something real) and Mexican breakfast joints. It's sad that we can't have this space filled by something authentic and local, but oh well.

Patrick Colvin

about 11 years ago

But what the hell is Big Burrito? Their website says they only have two locations. In Michigan.

piker

about 11 years ago

Big Burrito, hmm... Intriguing...

Conrad

about 11 years ago

Uggghhhhh!!!

Herzog

about 11 years ago

What Conrad? Is this going to interrupt your mall shopping experience? The mall and the college are already soul sucking ass pimple experiences, how is this going to change that for you?  Keep it real dude.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7oJp6emNT4

Claire

about 11 years ago

As far as I am concerned, the terrorists have won ...

Endion

about 11 years ago

This is truly a Perfect Duluth Day! I'm a rube and my wife worked at Chipotle in college. The meat is fresh off the grill with great spices. The veggies are right in front of you and you can decide right there. Everyone's tune will change when there are three of them up here in a few years. It is so amazing and this makes my Perfect Duluth Day!

Herzog

about 11 years ago

Claire please...  Go picket in front of Walgreens.

piker

about 11 years ago

Go picket in front of Olive Garden, to remind Duluthians how they lined up at that establishment for 4 months straight after opening, as if a mediocre chain restaurant was what they'd been waiting for all of their lives.

[email protected]

about 11 years ago

Anything that helps me make the case that Burrito Union is more accurately described as "Brewhouse Lite with Burrito-Substitutes" and so needs to both improve quality and decrease prices is a win.

Exception:  the Thanksgiving burrito last year was genius.

Claire

about 11 years ago

Never been to Olive Garden anywhere, never will. Never been to Buffalo Wild Wings in Duluth, never will. I can't believe that two Mexican FAST FOOD PLACES opening up in Duluth has generated such orgasms in otherwise sensible Duluthians and is the lead story in today's DNT. 

Gawd.

vicarious

about 11 years ago

Claire, I suspect the excitement is because Chipotle is fresh and delicious, whereas the locally-owned establishment's burritos are overpriced slop. Just a guess.

pats

about 11 years ago

There is something to be said for quality (if that's what Chipotle offers ... I wouldn't know from first-hand experience). I generally dislike chain restaurants, and I think Duluth has some great local restaurants and pubs. But, there seems to be a market for chains up around the Miller Hill Mall. I just hope they hire a lot of local people and pay them well. At least we can hope for some decent jobs out of this invasion.

Claire

about 11 years ago

What Pats said ... actually my kid loves Noodles, and I've eaten there with her. It's not bad, as far as fast food goes ... just don't order the Pad Thai thinking it's going to be anywhere as good as what I can find at local establishments.

adam

about 11 years ago

So many wet panties.

piker

about 11 years ago

Woah, I think you're misplacing your lust here, Adam.  The Wabasha is that way.

Anyway I just realized I have never actually been inside Burrito Union. The 'curry burrito' someone brought me as takeout was more than enough to convince me that nothing worthy was created within.
The beer, on the other hand... The beer...

Claire

about 11 years ago

I really like the quesadillas at BU with the charred tomatillo salsa. The salads are pretty good too, just put salsa on them instead of the dressing.

emmadogs

about 11 years ago

"Curry burrito"?  That's just wrong.

piker

about 11 years ago

Exactly. Just the phrase 'Curry Burrito' was more than enough to indicate that this place has no business offering burritos to the public.

Shane

about 11 years ago

What is wrong with a curry burrito combining Mexican and Indian cuisine? It is classified as "fusion cuisine."
 
It is not like the "burritos" at Chipotle have not already been influenced by both Mexican and USA cuisine.

Andrew Vieau

about 11 years ago

Rhetoricguy,

The Thanksgiving burrito wasn't just last year.  It's back until the end of the month.

Herzog

about 11 years ago

Fitger Co's fratmosphere and dirty overused beer piss restrooms help make their so-so food even less enticing.  Look, as we've already stated  many many times before,  the proud tree sucking liberals of this town like Adam hate chains and all the other 1000 points of blight from Lake Ave west, and we would all wave our little fairy wands in a heartbeat to make them go away if we could, but if Chipolte can show the Swedish Mafia what cilantro and limes look like, then maybe some good can come from this after all.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjVt3olSlRo

Shane

about 11 years ago

Swedish mafia?

Andrew Vieau

about 11 years ago

It's Swedish HOUSE Mafia, I believe.

Barrett Chase

about 11 years ago

I would eat a curry burrito. I loved BU's buffalo wing burrito, not to mention Lindo's French-fry burrito. Burritos can be anything, like sandwiches can be anything.

Endion

about 11 years ago

Herzog-Great point. Claire, have you seen Portlandia and the "local" episode? You site here and say the terrorists are winning and then that your kid loves Noodles. What are you raising? Get off of your high horse. Even the PBR Hipsters of Duluth will love Chipotle within a year. In countless threads there has been discussion how nothing is truly "local" as they all use vendors for supplies. Wait till you see the grilled chicken at Chipotle being cooked right there and then compare it to the slop sitting in a vat of water everywhere else. They also serve bottled beer and some have margaritas, and they will probably have to hire local workers unless they ship in some along with their non-local ingredients. Some of you are funny.

Sam

about 11 years ago

Chipotlaway, required for eating Chipotle.

Chipotlaway by Billy Mays
httpv://youtu.be/RlIHDauX3ao?t=40s

Claire

about 11 years ago

To find out what the big fuss is about, Mr. Claire and I have decided to stop in at a Chipotle the next time we make a trip out of town, which will be soon. We know that, typical Duluth, Chipotle will be a madhouse when it comes here.

Drew

about 11 years ago

I like Burrito Union more than any chain restaurant in town, though it's not in my top three local spots. I'm partial to Brewhouse beers, but the one issue that hasn't been raised here is the service there. Aren't BU servers and cooks a bit more stoned than you prefer? Why does it sometimes take a half hour to bring a beer? Why is the food pretty good sometimes, but other times, well, not so much. Why the inconsistency. Not that there's anything wrong with getting stoned, or that I want everything served in 90 seconds, but there are moments .....

Hot Shot

about 11 years ago

I'm excited. Both Chiptole and Qdoba are pretty tasty. I'm not anti-chain or anti-mall-area. Big names like this are obviously in demand and our city needs them.

BU is a completely different kind of restaurant. People have tried to compare it to Chipotle since it opened. People either love the place or hate it (or the owners, or the fact it's a hot college hangout and not a quiet nook.

Why not celebrate the opening of some places that have been in demand? This is a college town. We need these places to remain relevant as a college town.

I'm equally excited that one of them is going into Blue Stone. The Woodland area needs a revival for the students. This looks to be the right step.

Now how about some nightlife over there too?

adam

about 11 years ago

I'm guessing trolls must really like burritos.

TheKujawa

about 11 years ago

Steve Miller sucks!

huitz

about 11 years ago

@TheKujawa...

Didn't Steve Miller shake your tree?

No, j/k, in all honesty and talking to the topic, people in Duluth and the surrounding area are -- and will continue to be -- scared by commercialization. People that grew up here are actually proud of our stalwart attitude and the way we dissuade things that might "invade" our sensibilities.

Will the common crowd have open arms when something like "Chipotle Grill" magically shows up on the hillside or near campus? We will, but it will be short-lived in economic and mexican experience-like benefit.

The reason I'm fascinated with this conversation (and it's probably dead by now, but what the hell) is that I think what people are really upset about is that many of us secretly want the locals to make it happen, then see aliens at the doorstep, and then worry about what will happen.

We already know that the Miller hillside and Woodland are disasters when it comes to location. You shouldn't focus your economy anymore on highway cross-sections.

Burrito Union is awesome as a restaurant concept. They have a good business sense. The problem there, I think, is that their menu is too varied and unfortunately the investors have a riddled past (everyone wants to beat them up after one success).

I like the idea of a Chipotle Grill addition ... been to a couple before ... but I'll only eat there if it's on my travel path and not branded as the "Best Mexican Restaurant in Duluth." That would just be plain embarrassing.

piker

about 11 years ago

I just find it questionable that the Burrito Union offers a "signature vegan Mediterranean sauce with hints of curry and roasted garlic." WTF is "Mediterranean sauce," and why is it the "signature" sauce at a burrito place?

Qdoba is advertising for a manager in Duluth.

And strangely, Adam seems to be meta-trolling. He must really like Mediterranean burritos.
Speaking of which, does anyone else like the hummus wraps at the Co-op?

taigagreen

about 11 years ago

I myself welcome these Mexican Fast Casual chains opening up shop here. Of course, I am in favor of getting something local sometimes, but having a healthy balance of choices between a franchised restaurant and a local offering shouldn't be a huge issue in most cases.

toyota200x

about 11 years ago

Has anyone seen any progress on these restaurants opening up?

Paul Lundgren

about 10 years ago

Chipotle opens June 25. The restaurant will have an outdoor patio and serve beer.

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