On Thursday, my first day here with the girls, we loaded up and made a great trek to Wal-Mart. As mixed as some people's feelings are about Wal-Mart, I love to go when I'm here because it has so many things on my list all in one place, which is truly a luxury. There are no Wal-Marts within NYC limits, probably with good reason, so my closest one is an hour away on Long Island or $15 of tolls away in New Jersey. So I only go in VA.
After shopping we decided to go by Subway in Burke to pick up lunch. As we pulled into the parking lot Mom said they were putting in a new Chipotle in that strip and we could see if it was open yet. The banner out front said, "Grande Opening Thursday, May 31." Took us a minute to realize that was today's date. What luck!
I was first introduced to Chipotle in Colorado - it was started in Denver and expanded quickly from there. I became accustomed to being within arm's reach of Chipotle, Qdoba or Baja Fresh anywhere I went in Colorado, and I ate five people's shares of burritos and taco salads over the years - never got tired of the deliciousness. Then I move to Brooklyn where yes, there's great pizza, Italian and Middle Eastern food but not a decent burrito to be found anywhere. So, like Wal-Mart, any chance I get for the good stuff makes my day.
We parked the car and unstrapped the girls and herded the entourage through the door. We looked around and realized all the people eating at tables were wearing Chipotle t-shirts and visors: the employees. A friendly manager-guy came over to tell us they didn't open f0r 10 more minutes (then why was the door unlocked??), but we were welcome to sit at a table and wait to be their first customer ever. We watched as the employees cleaned up, probably eating the results of morning practice, and did last-minute drills with ingredient picture flashcards. A crowd started to gather outside waiting for the place to open - they obviously paid attention to the hours posted on the door, which we hadn't. At 11am the manager let us go up to order before letting the masses in. Mom did a quick calculation and we figured if we didn't order drinks she could pay in cash. And sure enough, the manager saved out one of her dollar bills to go in a frame. They also took a picture of us waiting and paying.
So, no, it's not a big secret. But being the first customer ever and providing the dollar that goes in the frame is kind of cool and probably a once in a lifetime thing. We'd just happened upon that fun opportunity and it gave us something to talk
about and tell people, like here on the blog. It also opened the way for other good luck I'm having here, like arriving just in time for Bath & Body Works' semiannual sale, which I love and we're hitting on Monday...
4 comments:
Sounds like a good start to the vacation!!! When I find a good hairstyle I'll pass it on! I'm looking for a new one too!
Awesome! I love Chipotle. We had one in Ohio (30 minutes away- everything in Cleveland was strangely 30 minutes away, no matter what) and it was wonderful. Nice picture, too. Fun!
My parents ate at that Chipotle just hours after you, as they had anticipated it's opening with bated breath. Small world.
Well Davey if your parents want a glimpse of the famous people who handed over that first dollar we'll be making appearances at Fair Oaks Mall, the farmer's market and Trader Joe's this week. Too bad all of those already had their grand openings. I know how they feel - Chipotle is worth bating breath.
Post a Comment