The day Chipotle opened, officially, bikes littered the sidewalk along County Road. 

Some of the ten-speeds and mountain bikes were tossed in the grass and others lay strewn on the curb almost in the northbound lane of Route 114, as if their riders leaped from the pedals mid-push to run toward the new restaurant and its promise of burritos and rice bowls and quesadillas.

“Chipotle is open,” wrote one resident in a text to the Times. “It looks like Sports Night over there.”

Anyone who has ever attended or dropped off a child at one of the middle school’s well-known Sports Night events understands the description: Lots of kids crowded into a little space. 

Chipotle officials — those who worked hard to gain town approval to build the restaurant on top of the land that once housed a BP gas station and three-stall auto repair shop — probably do not mind the description. A lot of work has gone into the restaurant's grand opening. Months of meetings and permit applications and construction led up to Wednesday, Aug. 28, when Chipotle officials opened the doors to their newest restaurant. 

A press release from the corporate office in California confirmed the timing and pleaded for new hires: “Yes, Chipotle is hiring at the Barrington location and across the U.S. There are approximately 30 jobs per location, with competitive benefits, including: A crew bonus with the opportunity to earn an extra month’s worth of pay each year; a debt-free college degree program; and English as a second language; and access to mental healthcare for employees and their families.”

The release also listed the restaurant’s hours of operation: Open seven days a week, from 10:45 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day. 

Oh, and one more feature: “The restaurant features a walk-up window that allows guests to conveniently pick up digital orders.”