Hamilton’s 2nd Chipotle to open this year, company says

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

Hamilton’s second Chipotle Mexican Grill will open in the fall, a company spokesperson has told the Journal-News.

“We are planning to open a new Chipotle restaurant at 1510 S. Erie Blvd. in early fall,” company spokeswoman Erin Wolford said about the former Hardee’s location.

Like the city’s first Chipotle, which opened in October 2019, the new restaurant will have a “Chipotlane,” a pickup window for people who order online, Wolford said. Hamilton’s first restaurant was the second in Greater Cincinnati to have that feature.

City officials are glad to see the new restaurant investment along Erie Boulevard, also known as Ohio 4. It is an area of stores that has had better days, with some stores and restaurant buildings closed.

Hamilton’s High- and Main Street corridors have seen infusions of new coffee shops and restaurants in recent years, with more planned. The city hopes the new Chipotle will help spark more investment along Ohio 4, another significant entryway to the city.

Those hopes are boosted by the fact Spooky Nook Sports Champion Mill’s founder and owner, Sam Beiler, announced last week that what will be the country’s largest indoor sports complex by square footage (the original location will remain the largest such complex “under one roof”) remains on target to be largely complete by the end of this year, with lots of work remaining.

The Chipotle Mexican Grill that opened in 2019 at 1479 Main St. was such a hit with Hamilton customers that another now is planned, this one on Hamilton’s East Side, at the Hardee’s location on Ohio 4.

icon to expand image

Owner Sam Beiler also announced the facility has letters of intent to host more than 30 events during 2022, the complex’s first year.

The city in recent years has worked to make the Ohio 4 corridor more attractive by beautifying medians and areas along the edges of the highway.

About the Author