Can Chipotle break the fast-food barrier in Barracks Row? Property owners are hoping so. They’ve filed with the city for a zoning exception to allow for such a restaurant in the commercial district on 8th Street, where fast-food restaurants are required to apply for special approval. It would be the first Chipotle squarely on Capitol Hill (let’s face it, the one inside Union Station doesn’t help Hill residents much).
The proposed Chipotle would move into space now occupied by The Dollar Store and space formerly occupied by China Wall restaurant. The case is scheduled to be heard by the ANC 6B Planning and Zoning Committee on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Given its popularity, an exception to bring Chipotle to Barracks Row would likely meet lots of support. On a neighborhood blog this week, several residents said they couldn’t wait for the Mexican chain to open its doors, predicting it would practically print money as the only Chipotle serving Capitol Hill neighborhoods. But several naysayers are lamenting the potential loss of the Dollar Store.
