Chipotle restaurant to open in Homewood

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Updated: March 17, 2012 10:18AM

Homewood residents should start dieting now to make room for all those Chipotle burritos they’ll be eating this fall.

The village board Tuesday unanimously approved the redivision of an outlot to make room for a Chipotle restaurant in front of Kohl’s Department Store, 17620 Halsted St. The stucco-style restaurant will include an outdoor patio, but no alcohol will be served.

Construction will take about five months to complete and the store could be open by the fall, according to Rick Will of Legend Retail Group, developers of the property.

After the meeting, Paula Wallrich, director of community development for the village, said she initially approached Chipotle’s with an offer to locate in Homewood. The deal has been six months in the making, she said.

During the meeting, Mayor Rich Hofeld made a point of thanking Wallrich for doing “a great job” in attracting the popular chain.

Wallrich later returned the compliment by describing Hofeld as “the most active mayor in terms of business recruitment — I get most of my leads from him.”