Chipotle restaurant to open on Ohio 53 in early 2021
Craig Shoup
FREMONT - The Ohio 53 corridor continues its business expansion as Chipotle Mexican Grill is set to open in early 2021.
Bob Gross, Fremont's economic development director, said originally the developer wanted to begin in May after expressing interest in bringing the restaurant chain in February.
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"Chipotle, I believe, will go over wildly successful," Gross said. "I think people are seeing the market in Fremont change, they're seeing the worthiness of investing in our community."
The newest addition to the Ohio 53 corridor will be on the east side of Ohio 53 in an empty lot near Fricker's and Verizon.
But the COVID-19 pandemic forced a pause in the spring and delayed development to the fall.
Bringing in more chain restaurants has been a hot topic in Fremont over the years. And Gross said he is always aware of the chatter.
"You always want to try and meet the needs of what people want in their city and we every day try to land projects like this," Gross said. "You know, we do these surveys and you hear people talk and you see somebody ask the question on Facebook about what new restaurants you want to see ... and Chipotle quickly rises to the top."
Gross said discussions on getting a restaurant like Chipotle entered his home as he and his daughter would often go to Chipotle restaurants in neighboring Tiffin or Sandusky.
Now, Gross said, he is a good dad in his daughter's eyes.
Ground started moving Tuesday, Gross said, with construction expected to take between 90 and 120 days depending on weather. If everything goes according to plan, Gross said the restaurant could open as soon as the end of January.
Gross said he was excited about the potential development, knowing a Chipotle would likely be coming to Fremont, but he said he could not talk about the project publicly until the developer's land purchase and building plans were approved.
He said around August the green light to move forward was given.
With this development, Gross said he believes the restaurant will not just add to the city's many eateries, but also help attract younger people to visit or continue living in Fremont.
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Twitter: @CraigShoupNH
