Chipotle eyeing second Duluth location. The burrito chain is looking to build a drive-thru on the 1900 block of London Road. May 12, 2026 at 10:30 PM News Reporting DULUTH - A national burrito chain is eyeing a second Duluth location. A drive-thru Chipotle Mexican Grill, coined "Chipotlane," wants to build a new restaurant on the upper side of the 1900 block of London Road. Three homes would need to be torn down to make room for the nearly 2,400-square-foot restaurant, one drive-thru lane and parking lot. Keep Watching Northland Outdoor Forecast: Areas of rain return for Sunday The City of Duluth Planning Commission on Tuesday voted unanimously to approve a two-year permit allowing Chipotle to have 11 additional parking spaces over the required maximum for a building of its size, bringing its total to 35 parking stalls. Chipotle, which has had a location at the Miller Hill Mall since 2014, believes the Twin Ports could support three or four locations, said developer Dave Carland of Venture Pass Partners. He's been looking for a site in Superior, too. "There's a lot of business to be had," Carland said. He's hoping for a quick construction timeline because he wants to "get this in the ground by Aug. 1." The four parcels that the project's footprint would cover are all owned by Northland Subway, Inc. The Subway restaurant on London Road sits adjacent to the proposed Chipotle. The restaurant would have indoor dining while the drive-thru would serve customers picking up food they order and pay for remotely, so there would be no menu board or intercom. John Judd and Karen Olesen, Jefferson Street residents who live directly behind the proposed restaurant, spoke at Tuesday's meeting. Olesen said she wanted more details in the project application, but didn't oppose the proposal altogether. "People understand that London Road is commercial and that there will be commercial development on it," Olesen said. Added Judd, "I don't think they have made a case for additional parking." Carland said Chipotle was clear about the amount of parking needed and that the additional spots would accommodate its employees. When fully staffed, up to 13 employees work at the Miller Hill location. "I have zero chance of getting a store approved with less than 32 parking spots," Carland said. "Operationally, the real estate people tell me (inadequate parking) is the biggest complaint they have." More stories for you. Jimmy Lovrien covers the City of Duluth, environment and Minnesota's 8th Congressional District for the Duluth News Tribune. He can be reached at [email protected] or 218-461-9718. Loading Audio Player By Instaread, Please Wait... Conversation

Hot chicken restaurant, burrito spot planned at new Lexington Target development. April 30, 2026 11:38 AM Gift Article Two new restaurants are on the drawing board at an under-construction development that will bring in a new Target and other businesses to a site near Lexington High School. Dave's Hot Chicken and Chipotle Mexican Grill are each planned for the coming Victory Village shopping center along the 2500 block of Augusta Highway, just west of Lexington High School, according to online documents from NAI Columbia, the commercial real estate firm handling leasing and sales at the property. A diagram of the Victory Village site shows the planned Dave's Hot Chicken and Chipotle at the southeast corner of the development, near Augusta Highway. The Victory Village shopping center was initially announced in 2025 and will be anchored by a new Target store, which is under construction now. Another major tenant in the complex will be Academy Sports + Outdoors, which will be on the northeast corner of the development, per diagrams of the site from NAI Columbia Dallas-based 413 Solutions, whose co-founder is former Dallas Cowboys star Emmitt Smith, is developing the site and plans to ultimately have more 230,000 square feet of retail space at Victory Village. The property is roughly 27 acres. Materials from NAI Columbia indicate that a number of other retail spaces - including spaces directly neighboring the Target and Academy or outparcels near Augusta Highway - are either under contract or have letters of intent under negotiation. Several spaces remain available for lease and there is one outparcel for sale near the highway. Dave's Hot Chicken is a popular, growing chain known for, as the name suggests, hot chicken fingers and sandwiches. The company has nearly 400 locations across the U.S., according to data website ScrapeHero. There currently is one Dave's Hot Chicken in the Midlands, located at 4601-A Devine St. in Columbia. Chipotle, meanwhile, is a ubiquitous name on the American dining scene, with more than 4,000 locations nationwide, including several in the Midlands. The company is known for its stuffed burritos, quesadillas, tacos and more. Chris Trainor is a retail reporter for The State and has been working for newspapers in South Carolina for more than 21 years, including previous stops at the (Greenwood) Index-Journal and the (Columbia) Free Times. He is the winner of a host of South Carolina Press Association awards, including honors in column writing, government beat reporting, profile writing, food writing, business beat reporting, election coverage, social media and more.