Geoffrey Wilson | Poughkeepsie Journal | July 22, 2016
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FISHKILL – Those hungry for Chipotle have a year to wait, but the fast-casual Tex-Mex restaurant is one step closer to opening.
The Town of Fishkill planning board approved a site plan for Hudson Valley Town Centre, an addition to the Hudson Valley Towne Center at 18 Westage Dr. which will feature both Chipotle and Five Guys Burgers and Fries. Five Guys will replace the location at 703 Old Route 9.
Once the project has been approved for a building permit with the planning board, it will take about six months to complete construction at the site, said David Livshin, president of the Dagar Group and managing agent for the property owner, Dutchess Holdings, LLC.
“We anticipate delivering the space to them (Chipotle and Five Guys) on or before March 1, 2017,” Livshin said in an email. “After the building is completed, we will deliver possession to the two new tenants, and they will finish the interior to their specifications.”
At this rate, Livshin anticipates both restaurants opening by summer 2017.
The location will feature about 4,600 square feet of retail and outdoor seating for the two eateries, Livshin said.
Though Taco Bell features six locations within 25 miles of the City of Poughkeepsie, including one a half mile from the proposed Chipotle site, Chipotle distinguishes itself as fast-casual dining, combining the speed of fast food with the quality of a casual restaurant.
In a Poughkeepsie Journal Facebook poll held last year, Chipotle was the fifth-most desired chain that was missing from Dutchess County.
“We need a Chipotle,” Chris Samperi, of Wappingers Falls, said in a comment on the Journal Facebook page. “I’m getting sick of driving to Kingston.”
The closest Chipotle restaurant currently is in Kingston, about 18 miles away from the City of Poughkeepsie. Moe’s Southwest Grill, another fast-casual Mexican restaurant chain, is the closest competitor with a location in Modena, 21 miles from the City of Poughkeepsie.
Geoffrey Wilson: gwilson@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4882, Twitter: Geoff_LW.