Empire Building

Burritofication Strikes Downtown’s Restaurant Row

The horror, the horror! A carnitas bowl at Chipotle.
The horror, the horror! A carnitas bowl at Chipotle. Photo: Jronaldlee via Flickr

Suddenly Seventh Street’s restaurant row isn’t looking quite like that bastion of independent restaurants and bars we’d once envisioned, as much as an easy street on which to rake in the lucre. Apparently, the news has even reached Cape Town, South Africa that simply springing up on this stretch is somewhat akin to diving-for-dollars. All of which is to say that Chipotle is opening its first Downtown store on April 9th at the intersection of Grand Ave. and 7th St. Sure, it may be close to where you work and we’re pretty sure “sustainability” isn’t a huge buzz word over at The Grand Central Market, where you’ll also be hard-pressed to find a “burrito in a bowl.” But still, “Burritofication” sounds like “gentrification” for a good reason: This Denver-based chain is slowly taking over L.A. with its so-called “Mexican food.”

Chipotle, 601 W. 7th St. Downtown.

Burritofication Strikes Downtown’s Restaurant Row