Chipotle Mexican Grill eyes new location on Rockford’s E. State Street

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — A new Chipotle restaurant could be making its way to Rockford’s E. State Street soon.

Next Tuesday, the City of Rockford Zoning Board of Appeals will consider a special use permit application from First Midwest Group’s Marvin Keys to construct a Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurant with a “Chipotlane” drive-thru at 5505 E. State Street.

The new restaurant would be built in the outlot of the State Street Square shopping center, near Flow Supreme Air Sports, Dirty Dough Cookies, and Guitar Center.

The 2,325-square-foot restaurant plan would accommodate 31 parking spaces. Three landscape islands would be removed to accommodate the drive-thru lane.

Chipotle’s first Rockford location opened at 751 S. Perryville Road. Additional locations were built in Loves Park, at 7190 E Riverside Blvd, and Machesney Park, at 1570 West Lane Road.

Chipotle also plans to open a new location in Belvidere, on the site of the former Dodge Lanes, at 1940 N. State Street.

The company was founded in 1993 in San Francisco and serves San Francisco, or “Mission-style” burritos and burrito bowls, and is one of the fastest-growing restaurant chains in the U.S.