Anew Mexican restaurant is adding some flavor to the Shoppes at North Brunswick lifestyle center, located at the intersections of routes 1 and 130.
ANDREW MILLER staff The burritos, bowls, tacos and salads at the new Chipotle restaurant, located in the Shoppes at North Brunswick at the intersection of routes 1 and 130, are created in a made-to-order fashion. Pronounced chi-POAT-lay, Chipotle officially opened on Nov. 2 and is named for the Spanish word for a fully ripened and smoked jalapeno pepper. The menu features healthy South-of-the-Border fare with attention paid to clean environmental practices.
“Chipotle is a place where people can come get quick fast-food which is very healthy and very good for them,” said Bethany Strong, the operations director for the New York, New Jersey and New England sectors of the chain.
Chipotle offers a “conscience-free” menu, according to Strong, because of the naturally raised meats, which are grown on all-vegetarian diets without hormones or antibiotics, the hormonefree dairy products and the organic beans. There are no freezers, can openers or microwaves on site, as every meal is made to order directly in front of the customer. Strong said everything is made from scratch every day, and fresh deliveries are received a few times each week.
ANDREW MILLER staff Juanelo Iglesias works the grill at the newly opened Chipotle Mexican restaurant, located in the Shoppes at North Brunswick. “Because we make things so fresh throughout the day, we’re able to combat [waste],” she said. “We only cook according to the number of customers we expect.”
The menu works like an assembly line. Patrons first choose between burritos, burrito bowls, soft tacos, crispy tacos or salad. They can add vegetarian black beans or pinto beans with bacon. Next comes chicken, steak, pork, shredded beef or vegetables. Over the main component comes hot, mild or medium salsa, with optional sour cream, cheese and lettuce. Fresh guacamole and chips can be added on the side for an additional cost.
“The lines move fast,” Strong said. “Customers watch it made, so there are zero mistakes.”
The Parents’ Menu, which is actually a tamed menu applicable to children, offers quesadillas, tacos, bowls and chips for younger eaters, along with a spice list so that children can choose how hot they like their food.
The beverages are carefully chosen as well, ranging from bottled water, fresh brewed iced-tea and all-natural juices to a soda fountain.
Strong said all these measures promote healthy eating for all customers, young and old, which is important in today’s society. She said although Chipotle does not like to preach its message, the restaurant likes to educate all customers about organic selections as well as using more natural food selections.
“We hope kids come in and like the food and like the flavors of the food. As they grow, they will learn how Chipotle is different and they will learn about our naturally raised food,” she said.
Along with limiting food waste comes limiting environmental waste, which is why Chipotle prints its menus on recycled paper and uses recycled menus. Strong said the architecture is simple and is made of simple, clean wood, common staples, which are found in the environment. There is also a recycling program in each restaurant for beverage bottles.
The restaurant also has a history of community involvement, sponsoring events such as a fundraiser for Rutgers University in New Brunswick on Nov. 1 for their Get Moving, Get Healthy New Jersey program. Chipotle donated 100 percent of the $5 donations retrieved at the door to the program, which promotes healthy eating and physical activity through the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences.
“As we get big we don’t want to be viewed as a corporation. We want to be viewed as your local Chipotle in your town,” Strong said. “We want to make sure people are smiling, are friendly and are having fun and talking to our customers.”
Another way Chipotle tries to stay local, according to Strong, is with the fax line pick-up area. There is a smaller assembly line space to the side of the counter where only fax orders are prepared. Office parties or catering are done through the fax system.
A future goal is to have the menu posted online so that customers can click on the photos of what they want to be submitted over the Internet directly to the restaurant. However, Chipotle does not offer delivery services.
“We want the food to be fresh so we don’t like it to travel too, too far,” Strong said.
Chipotle is located at 524 Shoppes Boulevard, at the intersections of Routes 1 and 130. The hours of operation are from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Saturday. To reach the restaurant, call (732) 342- 7272 or visit www.Chipotle.com. The fax number is (732) 342 – 7277.