Chipotle coming to Carytown

This is the “next” wave of development in gentrified areas, when rents are too high for local vendors. It happens everywhere, time to get used to it.

Give them the Ben and Jerry’s treatment.

Between the PetCo and the Panera? Honestly, what did you expect would go there?

Four cups of rice + one tablespoon of organic, free range chicken = still a bunch of rice! Ugggh :-(

Figures. I will still spend my money at the local places. I am very disappointed in this. I wish all of these places would stay on Broad street & not in Carytown. I like Panera and Dunkin Donuts, and even Chipotle but I will not go to these new locations when I have great, local/small business trying to survive right across the street. Dixie Donuts, Nacho Mama’s and Carytown Coffee & Capital Desserts here I come! All this talk about economy & small businesses, I think we should put our money where our mouth is.

The bottom line is that these chain companies create and keep jobs. They are a green company and are highly respected.
If you know of a better burrito ( other than cary st cafe) plz let my know.
It could have been Taco Bell…

I will not support these corporations and will continue to support the local businesses there instead. Another issue that so many seem to not be aware of is the animal welfare issues surrounding Petco’s (and Petsmart) refusal to stop selling animals in their stores. While many believe that these companies care about animal welfare because of their affiliation with dog and cat adoption programs at their stores, the animals they sell are often neglected and mistreated. I have seen this first hand.
Furthermore, they give misinformation to customers on the proper care of the animals that they sell in the stores in order to make it seem like those animals require little care. For example, they lead customers to believe that it is ok to put animals in small cages or fish in tanks where they have no room to move about. Please support local pet supply stores and not stores that continue to sell animals. A great one is already in Carytown, Dogma. The people there are extremely helpful, knowledgeable and actually care about animals.

While I wish we didn’t have so many chains, I’m glad that Chipotle at least has implemented socially responsible practices when it comes to animals and the environment.

There are 1200 Chipolte Grills, 5 within 15 miles of Carytown.
There are 1600 Paneras, 10 within 15 miles of Carytown.
There are 37,000 Subways, 36 within 15 miles of Carytown.
There are 1150 Petcos, 6 within 15 miles of Carytown.
There are 9000 Dunkin Donuts, 9 within 15 miles of Carytown.
There are 17,000 Starbucks, 20 within 15 miles of Carytown.

These franchises all have direct local competitors in Carytown with comparable services and prices. We’re talking apples to apples here, and not Kroger to Ellwood’s. These local companies rarely have more than one location and carytown is considered a saturated market. There will be no net gain of jobs. The franchises have economics of scale, national marketing campaigns, and corporate backing. While more responsive to customers, and able to deliver a variety unmatched by franchises, local companies that are not appreciated by their community will fall to franchises. The result is no new jobs. Less profits stay in the community. Less choices for consumers. Less unique destinations which lowers the reason for people outside the immediate area to come here. If you make Carytown into mini Shortpump do you think people will stop going to Shortpump or that the people who frequent Carytown will still want to go?

Chipotle started in Colorado as a local business as all do. National chains can withstand the recession. I wish there was a trader joes my tax money would stay in RVA however that isn’t the case. Do you understand how much money is spent outside of RVA, it’s truly ashame.
Off to traders joes tonight…

Boot all the major chains to the unlivable hellholes that are the ‘burbs of Richmond, leave the city to the locals and local businesses.

The Carytown Martin’s does a fraction of the business it did when the Ukrop’s chain was at its zenith. I have a reliable source who tells me it will not be open 2 years from now. It’s gonna look pretty bad when that storefront is empty.

Chris, I recognize the pattern you refer to but I don’t thinks it’s something to panic about. Most gentrifying areas in central cities develop this way, but as long as the city has a free enough land use/ business culture the big box stores won’t eclipse the local ones and the city will be better off in the long run. Take a look at DC, for instance. In many of the wealthy areas of DC you find both corporate and local business. To say that corporate move in is a death sentence for small businesses is to not give small businesses enough credit, because the good ones will learn to change and resurface. If Carytown and other areas start looking like malls, maybe a place like Brookland Park Boulevard can be fixed up. This would parallel the development of DC’s H St.

Walking to Willow Lawn or VCU is nothing like Carytown most West of the Boulevard residents. “The length of Carytown” is only 6 blocks, and less than a mile. From my apartment on W Grace St. Carytown is about a 1.1 mile walk and VCU is about 2.2 mile walk. Willow Lawn is about a 1.7 mile walk but without a car you may have to walk all over a strip mall. Consider round trip distance, and Carytown at least one or two miles less than the other options.