Chipotle in Vineland? Plans could see gun shop give way for popular Mexican chain

Joseph P. Smith, Vineland Daily Journal
·1 min read

VINELAND — It won’t happen until well into 2023, but one of the big names in Mexican fast-food chains wants to get into the Vineland marketplace.

Chipotle Mexican Grill wants to demolish a gun store at 1025 West Landis Avenue to open the property for one of its outlets. The property, less than an acre, is west of Delsea Drive and next to Moyer Street.

The restaurant chain has 87 sites across New Jersey. This would be the first in Cumberland County.

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The plan for the proposed 2,325-square-foot restaurant was scheduled for a public hearing Thursday in front of the Vineland Planning Board. But the application now is pushed back to December to allow for some plan revisions, according to city Supervising Engineer Ryan Headley.

Sandy Forosisky, economic development director for the city, said Wednesday that a Chipotle is something many residents have said they would like to see.

Butch’s Gun World, which opened in the 1980s, would give way for the restaurant.

Vineland has dedicated West Landis Avenue as a commercial and hospitality development corridor reaching to Route 55. Other fast-food chains along it include Panda Express, Starbucks, and Taco Bell.

Chipotle is headquartered in California and operates 3,100 restaurants across the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, and France.

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The chain is in an expansion mode. In late October, the corporation announced it expects to reach 235 to 250 openings this year and 255 to 285 openings next year.

Joe Smith is a N.E. Philly native transplanted to South Jersey more than 30 years ago, keeping an eye now on government in South Jersey. He is a former editor and current senior staff writer for The Daily Journal in Vineland, Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, and the Burlington County Times.

Have a tip? Reach out at jsmith@thedailyjournal.com. Help support local journalism with a subscription.

This article originally appeared on Vineland Daily Journal: Chipotle eyes Vineland NJ as location for new restaurant