Chipotle Slated For LaVale, Maryland in 2018

Rendering of Chipotle at Braddock Square Shopping Center in LaVale by firm AE7.

LAVALE, Md. — Allegany County can fill up on burrito bowls sometime in 2018.

Chipotle Mexican Grill will be opening in 2018 in the Braddock Road Shopping Center in Lavale, the company confirmed Friday, Aug. 4.

“It’s on the books, but we’re looking at next year,” Chipotle tweeted to me on its official account. “Check back in 2018 and we should have a better answer for you! -Becky”

It’s on the books, but we’re looking at next year. Check back in 2018 and we should have a better answer for you! -Becky

— Chipotle (@ChipotleTweets) August 4, 2017

This will be the first location in Allegany County for the Denver, Colorado, chain, that’s famous for burritos, lines of customers waiting to get their guac on and the occasional health scare that’s given the company fits.

The eatery will be located at 12101 Winchester Road, in the former U.S. Cellular location, in a shopping center that houses Tractor Supply Co., Kohl’s and others. Renovations of the shell building has been ongoing this summer.

Social media has been buzzing Friday since an architectural rendering of Chipotle at the shopping center was shared online. The rendering was included in a portfolio on the website of AE7, a Pittsburgh-based design and engineering firm contracted by shopping center developer H.L. Libby Corp., which owns Braddock Square. The rendering shows spaces for two other tenants as well.

Chipotle has operated since 1993 and has more than 1,500 locations, according to its website.

Students at Frostburg State University, where I’m employed, frequently ask about where’s the closest Chipotle. The answer was Morgantown, W.Va., Altoona, Pa., and Hagerstown, Md. With a location just 10 minutes away, expect this Chipotle to be buzzing   from August through May.

Retail rumor mill in LaVale

[CHIPOTLE: Looking for the story on Chipotle coming to LaVale? Click Here.]

[UPDATE Feb. 2018: Freestanding Chick-fil-A Coming to LaVale.]

(Note: If you are reading this post in the first quarter of 2017, click here for an update.)

Originally Posted May 31, 2016

Hearing about what’s going on the corner of National Highway and Winchester Road in LaVale, Md., is like playing the telephone game.

Ask just about anyone in the area and they’ll give you what they heard about what’s coming to the former Hafer Chapel of the Hills Funeral Home at 1302 National Highway.

[Again, if you’re still reading this, this article was originally published in May 2016. On April 26, 2017, developer PennTex reached an agreement with Dollar General for 1302 National Highway.]

The problem is there is no paper trail giving anything away. At least no electronic paper trail. Writing about a retail rumor should give you an idea about how I go about reporting these deals.

These are just people in the community working different jobs that I’ve run into that have each heard the same rumor. Maybe from different people, maybe the same person.

Three different people told me a Five Guys Burgers and Fries and a Panera Bread was going there.

Another person told me there was supposed to be three restaurants there. And then another person said they heard that the third restaurant would be Dunkin’ Donuts.

I saw the same person who told about about Dunkin’ Donuts and said Five Guys isn’t going in—it’s going to be a building with Chipotle and Dunkin’ and that one of the local Fire Marshals signed off on the plan.

Well, none of this is panning out yet.

[Editor’s Note: Chipotle is coming here after all. Looking for the story on Chipotle coming to LaVale? Click Here.]