Chipotle Mexican Grill is confirmed plans to open at Coddingtown Mall in Santa Rosa, according to a company spokesman.
Rumors have been swirling for months, especially after the socially-conscious fast food eatery announced plans to open in Petaluma and Rohnert Park last year. With the restaurant’s march northward, Coddingtown Mall seemed a natural fit, with ongoing renovations attracting large-scale national chains including Target, Whole Foods and BJ’s Restaurant.
The Coddingtown restaurant is slated to open this summer. Simon spokesperson Kim Hall was unable elaborate, stating that the mall did not yet have a signed lease.
Chipotle Mexican Grill has about 1,200 restaurants nationwide and has won over many fast-food critics with its dedication to organic, sustainable foods and eco-conscious attitude. “With more than a third of America currently obese, a healthier eating movement is under way and Chipotle is seizing the reins. This is exactly why revenue jumped by 26% in the first quarter and comparable-store sales were up almost 13%,” said Motley Fool in its analysis of the growing company.
A Facebook page pleading for a Santa Rosa location emerged in 2010, garnering about 1557 likes.
Subway opened and did take over the Max cafe. Small, but makes great sandwiches! Glad to see a nice decent place in Coddingtown.
Not sure where Chipolte is opening at Coddingtown. However, I saw a sign for a new Chipolte opening on Mendocino almost directly across the street from SRJC. Also, I was in Coddingtoown Mall yesterday (Sunday, March 17), and saw a sign advertising a new Subway opening right behind Whole Foods.
I heard about the Subway too and wonder if it will replace Max Cafe? It seems to me if they had begun constructing the Chipotle yet (and why wait…), it would be somewhat obvious where it’s going to be. But who knows.
“Social Consciousness” rates next to dead last among what I choose restaurants for.
Does anyone know exactly where the Chipotle will be on the mall’s property?
Chipotle is for white people from Philadelphia who are afraid of Mexican food.
Yes, there are such people.
I’m sorry, but this is just a silly comment. The ability to appreciate authentic Mexican food and a Chipotle burrito are not mutually exclusive. And there must be a large number of “white people from Philadelphia who are afraid of Mexican food.” Because every time you walk into a Chipotle, it’s packed.
Good call-out, silly indeed. And welcome to Santa Rosa! You’re going to love how long it takes for anything business-related to happen because people like to think it needs to be frozen in time. Well, Santa Rosa is beginning to look the part, for sure and that’s not a compliment.
As if a Chipotle is going to have a huge impact on the local Mexican cuisine. Hopefully it has most of it’s impact on the numerous vacant storefronts at Coddingtown. And yes, anytime I’ve visited a Chipotle it’s been packed. I wonder what that says about their food…
White folks mexican food and is so good!
This is GREAT news! Not only for a Chipotle in Santa Rosa, but for the revitalization of Coddingtown. I hope the location decides to take one of the many vacant spots along the mall’s exterior as Chipotle has done in many other shopping malls. I have been to this restaurant all along the West Coast and even in Las Vegas where it was a cost-friendly alternative to everything else. As many have called out here, Chipotle prides itself on environmental stewardship with regard to it’s food and building construction. They also happen to be extremely attractive establishments and often a welcome focal point wherever they’re located. All good reasons to be excited for this!
If it’s going in the mall, it almost has to be a chain and I welcome Chipotle. Only eaten at a few but they’ll provide consistent and fresh “fast food” Mexican fare. Baja Fresh wasn’t my favorite but after they closed, there’s been a need in the area for a place like Chipotle’s. The mall is starting to come together and after Target goes in, I’m sure I’ll stop there more often.
Sweetwater Grill just went out- I’m thinking Chipotle will go in there. RIP Sweetwater.
Don’t think it will be there. The reps said that space was too big. Could be wrong, however.
My husband and I tried a Chipotle’s for the first time recently in Berkeley. It was awful. We only went in there because nothing else in the immediate area was open. Never again. We’ve actually enjoyed eating at Whole Foods more. That’s a sad statement.
Try fishing if you can, upon the upper Florida Keys for wild prawns under the bridges. Incredible and much safer than “farm raised.”
OK, I just checked Coddingtown on the Simon Mall website. It looks like there’s vacancy in the “corner” near the new Whole Foods. I think there is / used to be a BK there, and the last Wolf Coffee in Santa Rosa? If Chipotle does go in, that seems the likeliest location to me.
Any speculation on the location of Chipotle at Coddingtown? BJ’s Brewhouse took over a big chunk in the middle (blowing away Narsi’s and Sakura), Whole Foods is at one end, and they’re nuking the old Gottschalk’s for a new Target… I’m wondering whether there are any current vacancies, or if Simon Malls is going to close out yet more current tenants.
Playa Azul Marisco Petaluma has THE BEST Camarrones Diabla EVER. Chunky’s Petaluma has the best Al Pastor in the county. Going to get me a big ass burritto mui rapido!!
Fantastic news! Chipotle is delicious and great comfort food. Their chips and guac are their secret weapon.
While I’ll give Chipotle props for their quality ingredients and social conscience (although I understand the jury is still out on some of their labor practices) bringing them into this area is basically coals to Newcastle. What Chiptole has done is commoditized San Francisco’s famous “Mission” burrito, turning something special into a mind- (and tastebud-) numbingly consistent food product, no more interesting than a cup of Strabucks house blend. The chain’s founder was working in a SF restaurant back in the ’70’s and took a liking to these “Combo Plates in a Tortilla” and, when he returned to Denver, launched the chain. They were quite successful, to the point that for a while, they were actually a subsidiary of the McDonalds Corp. (Ronaldo McDonaldo, anybody?) Their food is good but the menu is small compared to your average tacqueria (burritos, tacos, and salads and not much else), and, as others have commented, bland and IMHO an affront to the legacy of the Mission Burrito. While we have plenty of better, cheaper, locally-owned and sourced tacquerias around here, folks who need the vetting of mass commercialism to confer quality will be lining up for Chipotle all day.
As usual, good points mudbug. But here’s one of my biggest gripes about local “mom and pop” taquerias: Ingredients and consistency. I’ve been to many, many, many of the local spots, and often they’re “meh”, use “meh” ingredients and are wildly inconsistent. (Some are great, too! Don’t get me wrong. I’ll never question the Carnitas Tacos Dorados at Chelinos or chiles rellenos at Las Palmas). But a chef or reader will gush about the carnitas at some hole in the wall and i go and its tough, tasteless and awful. I see many “mom and pop shop” folks at Costco and Cash & Carry buying their supplies — which is fine and good, but you’re going for the preparation, not the quality of the raw ingredients. Sure, some do source from local farms and markets and buy top quality meats from Golden Gate or whatever…but a lot don’t, and I can’t fault them because their margins are really tight, and people aren’t willing to pay $9 for a taco.
I guess my point is that demonizing either side is kind of futile because they’re very different beasts.
PS. If someone wants to tell me the ultimate dish at other local taquerias — i mean the CANNOT MISS dishes — i think its worth doing a wrap up of those.
I agree. Most are pretty average. One favorite that comes to mind is El Tapatio in RP. Which will also have a Chipotle across the street from them.
oh, man, heather, i couldn’t agree more about the local taquerias–meh, and inconsistent, and medium to low quality ingredients. it’s frustrating.
i like chipotle: i don’t find it bland at all, i like that the menu is tiny (if it was something hip like pie and coffee and nothing else, people would celebrate that!), and there aren’t many other restaurants, fast or otherwise, who serve organic milk to my kid.
El Coronel’s Sonora Veggie Burrito (Sebastopol). It’s not their signature dish but it’s the best veggie burrito I’ve ever had. Nothing tough or tasteless about it.
Also agree that many local taqueria’s can be hit and miss at times (either too busy, its too late for someone to give a sh*t what is being presented) and other times bland so to speak. I’ve been to places where the guacamole is nuclear green, that’s never a good sign. I’ve never been to Chipolte but if they have a way to make consistent, fairly good quality mexican based food, they will survive just fine.
I agree about quality and consistency. We had a GREAT favorite Mexican restaurant here in Santa Rosa. Pretty famous. But then my husband, who always orders shrimp, ordered shrimp one Sunday night and got TERRIBLE food poisoning. GOOD restaurants don’t serve shrimp that is old enough to be iffy. And so I either won’t go there or I will NEVER go on a weekend when they have not received deliveries of fresh ingredients.
Awesome news. I hope it’s a stand-alone building, but any Chipotle is a good thing!
Will it be located inside the mall, or will it be in a separate building like in the picture?
No one is saying, yet.
los hermanos, burt st. has the best huaraches! try them w/ hit picosa sce.
I can assure you, you’re not going to get huaraches at a Chipotle.
Playa Azul Marisco in Petaluma Ca. has got it goin on! Best Camarrones Diablo ever! Chunky’s in Petaluma has the BOMB ass Al Pastor burrito going to get one now!
How does Chipotle differ from Baja Fresh? Menu, business models seem very similar.
Chipotle is the Whole Food of fast food. Baja Fresh aimed for that demographic, but just ended up being a more expensive taqueria.
Chipotle is good. Baja Fresh is not.
Chipotle is what it is. And what it is is not very good.
In all fairness the entire chain should be re-named “Chipotle Gringo Grill.”
Bland, bland, bland.
I do like Chipotle, and when I’m visiting family who live in a part of Arizona without a whole lot of quality Mexican fare, I frequently find myself eating there. But given the number of quality tacquerias within a stones’ throw of Coddingtown, it’s highly unlikely I’ll be frequenting the new Chipotle there.
In other news: Santa Rosa Taqueria is already open.
As are about a thousand other great taquerias.
https://www.sonomamag.com/biteclub/mexican/
Doesn’t mean we can’t be glad for another choice.
I’d be glad for another choice that ISN’T Mexican.
It’s NOT!
Oh thank goodness there is going to be some place where I can buy Mexican food in Sonoma County!
(Yes, that is sarcasm.)
No, if you really want good authentic Mexican or Central American food, you go to The City. SF is where it’s at.
TC, if you think you have to go to SF for good mexican food you must be blind, house bound or both. There’s good Mexican food on about every corner of Santa Rosa area.
I agree…Chapotle is bland bland bland. Not bad, but just bland.
I’ve been here for almost 10 years and still waiting to find a truly good Mexican restaurant. Chelino’s is tons of food, bland taste. I’ve lived in SF and SJ and SR doesn’t compare at all.
I am very much looking forward to Chipotle opening up at Coddingtown. I really like their soft tacos.