They’re called Chipotlanes, a beautiful portmanteau to describe the drive-thru lanes at some Chipotle restaurants. And the proposed Chipotle at the corner of Madison Street and Harlem Avenue will have one after the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) unanimously approved the drive-thru at a Jan. 19 meeting.
Acting Chair Kerri McBride and board members Kristen Lyons, Kevin Hibbits and Ray Paulin unanimously approved the project, presented by David King on behalf of Midwest Property Group.
King, himself a long-time Forest Park resident, said he could not be more excited about the project.
“Harlem and Madison is the entrance to our town,” King said, “and having a healthy, casual, cool and hip restaurant at the corner will be good for Forest Park.” King is also enthusiastic about the “Welcome to Forest Park” sign that will be part of the project.
The Chipotle drive-thru concept is what King described as a “new cutting-edge concept,” with no menu board, no speaker for ordering, and no ordering allowed from the window, which is only to pick up orders placed ahead of time using the restaurant’s app.
The restaurant will also feature dine-in, as traditionally offered by Chipotle restaurants. The restaurant is a project of Jay Javors of Midwest Property Group, Ltd., and is proposed to be a 2,400 square foot establishment with on-site parking for 23 cars.
According to Steve Glinke, head of Public Health and Safety, the project will be voted on by the village council next. Additionally, IDOT still needs to approve a traffic study for the project, and there are other third-party approvals necessary, such as from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District.
