Attention Chipotle lovers: Chipotle Mexican Grill is looking at a location on Route 58 in Riverhead.
The popular Mexican food chain submitted a site plan yesterday for 1501 Old Country Road, which is an empty building next to Riverhead Bay Motors across from the Riverhead Center shopping plaza.
The 2,800-square foot building would have 62 interior seats, including tables, booths and a long high-top with stools. There would also be an outdoor seating area with 28 additional seats and a patio.
Chipotle is a “fast-casual” restaurant, where customers can order from a menu of burritos, bowls, tacos and salads. Customers can customize their orders with a selection of meats (chicken, pork, steak, tofu, barbacoa or a vegetarian option) and a variety of toppings, including rice, beans, salsas, sour cream, cheese and lettuce.
Although there is no table service, Chipotle says it tries to set itself apart from other fast-food style restaurants with “high-quality raw ingredients, classic cooking methods and distinctive interior-design-features that are more frequently found in the world of fine dining.”
Chipotle operates more than 1,700 locations internationally, with a staff of more than 45,000 employees.
The nearest Chipotle restaurant is more than a half an hour’s drive away in Hauppauge, which is 30 miles west of Riverhead. This Route 58 location would be its easternmost restaurant on Long Island.
A Chipotle spokesperson said earlier this month that the company doesn’t discuss new restaurant openings until a lease is signed and construction is scheduled.
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