The wait is finally over: Harlem's first Chipotle is now open.
Hungry Harlemites are flocking to the new location at 72 West 125th Street, just a few doors down from the year-old Whole Foods–so much so that there have been some unexpected hiccups in the first week.
"Glad to see new @ChipotleTweets on 125th St so packed, but never seen a line at Chipotle move so slowly before. This branch has a lot of work to do to figure out how to deal with that crazy line," wrote Happening Harlem, a local real estate-focused Twitter account, yesterday. (Chipotle responded quickly, saying it would address the issue.)
A reviewer on Google seemed equally happy about the Mexican chain's opening, but also focused on the service, saying this about the new 2,500-square-foot location: "Clean, but confused staff."
The road has been a long one for Harlem's first Chipotle, even though local demand for the burrito chain has been apparent for more than a decade. "Harlem Is In Desperate Need of a Chipotle," screamed a Racked New York headline in 2007.
Then in January of this year, word came that the chain would finally debut a location on 125th Street. The news spread quickly.
The opening date was set for the end of June, but construction delays pushed it back. In the end, the neighborhood welcomed its first Chipotle last week.
Let's hope the kinks get ironed out quickly.
