Popular restaurant chain considers new site at Tacoma shopping center. Here are details
A restaurant chain appears to be expanding its Pierce County presence with a new site at a West End Tacoma shopping center.
Initial plans were filed Monday with the City of Tacoma for a new Chipotle to go into the former MOD Pizza space at the Westgate South shopping center, 2303 N. Pearl St.
The plans show that site would include dining space inside and a small dining patio out front.
Anticipated start of the tenant improvement is May, according to the filing, though initial dates often change. No further information was available.
Annie Gradinger, a media representative for Chipotle, on Wednesday told The News Tribune via email that “We cannot confirm a location at this time, but we are exploring opportunities to bring our real food to the Tacoma community.”
Chipotle has nearly 80 locations in Washington state, including two in Tacoma, one in University Place, two in Puyallup, one in Gig Harbor and one in Bonney Lake.
The proposed dine-in location is becoming more rare among the chain’s new restaurants as it moves more toward pick-up locations, such as the “Chipotlane” drive-thru it introduced in its Tacoma Mall relocation in 2022.
In a November news release, Chipotle announced it planned to open “315 to 345 new restaurants in 2025 with at least 80% featuring a Chipotlane.”
Westgate South was most recently in the headlines over the loss of Big Lots, the discount home goods retailer that previously was marketed as one of the chain’s top performing stores nationally and No. 1 in the state. The Westgate South store closed at the end of 2024 as a result of the retailer’s bankruptcy.
In some other states, Big Lots leases are being transferred to other entities. Such lease transfers include Goodwill Industries, which plans to open two stores in former Texas Big Lots locations, business publication Fast Company reported Tuesday.
No Washington stores appear so far among the possible lease transfers in bankruptcy filings. Ken Ryals, chief advancement officer for Goodwill of the Olympics & Rainier Region, told The News Tribune via email in response to questions Tuesday that “We have no specific plans involving Big Lots locations.”
Story has been updated with comment from Chipotle media representative.
This story was originally published February 19, 2025 at 5:15 AM.
