Chipotle – Montavilla News

Chipotle Mexican Grill will open its newest location at 10090 SE Washington Street on July 23rd. Located at the outer northern edge of Mall 205, this rapidly expanding chain restaurant is replacing another Mexican-themed fast-casual restaurant, Baja Fresh. This brand shuffle is part of a growing reinvestment in this area that includes redeveloping older mall properties and the return of headliner chain eateries like Chick-fil-A.

Chipotle Mexican Grill began in Colorado on July 13th, 1993. Over 30 years, it expanded to 3,200 locations, all featuring a simple menu specializing in assembled-to-order bowls, tacos, and Mission-style burritos. It has become a ubiquitous fast food destination across the country and remains popular while other chain restaurants struggle to stay relevant, particularly for the brand this SE Washington Street location replaces.

This store’s opening is directly representative of a fast-casual feud that started in 2002 when Wendy’s International purchased Baja Fresh to compete with the rising success of Chipotle. However, that purchase resulted in substantial losses due to either mismanagement or customer drift towards the competition. In 2006, Wendy’s sold its stake in the Baja Fresh chain for a fraction of what it paid four years prior. The new Baja Fresh owners kept the chain afloat, but the brand’s decline progressed across the company, with few locations surviving. Chipotle’s opening in a former Baja Fresh storefront indicates its dominance in the Mexican-themed fast-casual restaurant arena.

*_{10090 SE Washington Street Suite 100 when it was Baja Fresh location}*

Chipotle fans will appreciate the company’s new interest in East Portland. Previously, customers had no options east of 82nd Avenue without crossing Portland city limits or going to the airport. At the same time as crews created the SE Washington Street store, other workers transformed a former Arby’s at 12035 NE Halsey Street into another Chipotle restaurant. These new locations opening this month are less than two miles apart but serve different business corridors. The NE Halsey Street store is adjacent to NE 122nd Avenue, and the SE Washington Street location is Interstate 205 accessible. By the end of the month, East Portlanders will have two new Chipotle options, where they had none before. For many, this will improve the lunch and dinner options in the area. Chipotle Mexican Grill locations open from 10:45 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.

Update: The 122nd and Halsey restaurant at 12035 NE Halsey Street will open on August 8th. That location features a drive-thru pickup lane for guests to collect orders placed online or through the Chipotle app without exiting their cars.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

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Earlier this year, Mexican-themed fast-casual restaurant Baja Fresh closed its 10090 SE Washington Street location at the outer edge of Mall 205. Last week, architects working for the Chipotle chain submitted building permits for a new store at the same address. Both brands position themselves in a similar space within the corporate foodservice marketplace. However, Chipotle offers a smaller menu of core items and substantially more locations than Baja Fresh.

Recently, all Baja Fresh franchise locations in Portland have ceased operations, including the Mall 205 store. Both of these fast-casual dining brands started in the early 1990s and attracted many of the same customers. Baja Fresh was first to the Portland market and established a strong presence. However, early investment from the McDonald’s corporation helped launch Chipotle into a national brand. McDonald’s divested financial interest in Chipotle by 2006, but by then, the restaurants specializing in bowls, tacos, and Mission burritos had already become well-known across the United States, outpacing many competitors.

*_{Chipotle location map with MV News illustrations}*

The Mall 205 Chipotle is several months away from opening. Building permits for a new serving area, restrooms, office, commercial kitchen, and walk-in cooler are pending approval. Plans can change anytime and may not result in the store’s opening. However, this location fills a service gap for the company, situated between its Cascade Station and Clackamas Town Center stores. This Mall 205 Chipotle location would join another popular fast-food chain planned for this area. This month, Chick-fil-A received approval to construct a restaurant within the existing structure at 9950 SE Stark Street. Both these developments will increase traffic to the area during peak dining times. However, they will not offer drive-through service and both have on-site parking available, reducing the likelihood that lines will back up onto the street.

Update: This location will open on July 23rd.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Montavilla News has a Patreon account. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to please consider becoming a paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.