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Michigan Avenue Chipotle Shut Down by Health Department

By  David Matthews and Alex Nitkin | September 22, 2015 2:04pm 

 A Chipotle store at 316 N. Michigan Ave. was closed due to an apparent license suspension Tuesday, throwing a wrench in many Downtown lunch plans.
A Chipotle store at 316 N. Michigan Ave. was closed due to an apparent license suspension Tuesday, throwing a wrench in many Downtown lunch plans.
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DNAinfo/David Matthews

DOWNTOWN — A Michigan Avenue Chipotle was closed by city officials Monday over fruit flies, throwing a wrench in some Downtown lunch plans Tuesday.

The restaurant at 316 N. Michigan Ave. failed its city inspection Monday because it "failed to correct" a fruit fly problem last week, according to the city's department of public health. On Monday city inspectors noticed "over 100 flying insects" in all corners of the restaurant, including the kitchen and storage rooms. The restaurant was also cited for not having a "food manager" on duty during Monday's inspection, and failing to clean floors underneath shelves in the storage room.

A notice of the restaurant's suspended license has been posted to the shuttered storefront at 316 N. Michigan Ave.


A notice of the suspended license at Chipotle, 316 N. Michigan Ave. [DNAinfo/David Matthews]

Despite the closure, many Downtown office workers were still seen attempting to enter the fast-casual chain restaurant at approximately 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.

"It really sucks," said Zeek Crowe, who gets Chipotle once a week and is currently working a job on Michigan Avenue. When asked where he would get lunch instead, he said "that's a good question. Probably Subway."

Dave Matthews says there's no word when Chipotle will reopen:

Symone Howard, a recent college graduate who said she eats Chipotle once "every two weeks," wanted to eat at the Michigan Avenue location for the first time.

"I really wanted some Chipotle for lunch," she said. "It's what I get when I treat myself."

At the time, neither Crowe nor Howard knew why the Chipotle had been closed. 

A spokesman for Denver-based Chipotle did not return an immediate message seeking comment. 

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