Chipotle Backs Out Of Plans For Magazine Street Location | Eater New Orleans

"After months of wrangling with neighbors and finally receiving city planners' approval in January, the planned Chipotle at 2801 Magazine Street — which would have been the first Chipotle in New Orleans proper — has decided not to move forward, according to a lawsuit filed by landlord 2801 Magazine, LLC. A Chipotle spokesperson told Eater NOLA that the company had changed its priorities and would not pursue that location. Neighbors and activists in the Irish Channel and Garden District, who staunchly opposed the chain arguing national restaurants could dilute the street's cultural potency, welcomed the decision. The property owner, Chipotle, the Garden District Association, and the Neighborhood Improvement Association of the Irish Channel had signed a "good-neighbor" and restrictive covenant that legally prevents any fast-food restaurant from occupying the space after Chipotle’s lease ends; the landlord now alleges that covenant was signed merely to secure city approval for Chipotle and is suing for the rental income it expected over the 10-year lease plus damages, while Chipotle’s lawyer maintains the lease was not contingent on actually operating a restaurant at that address and says it was therefore legal for them to back away. The story was later updated with a comment from Chipotle." - Stephanie Carter