Chipotle delays first Sioux Falls location by months

Chipotle's plans to open a Sioux Falls location have been delayed.

A representative for the popular chain of fast-casual Mexican restaurants confirmed this week that the company had pushed back the timeline for bringing the first Chipotle Mexican Grill to South Dakota and its biggest city. 

The coronavirus pandemic and resulting states of emergency in cities and states across the country have caused closures, layoffs and financial uncertainty for the restaurant industry, though a Chipotle representative did not give a specific reason for delaying the Sioux Falls restaurant.

"We are now scheduled to open a location in Sioux Falls at some point in early 2021," spokesperson Erin Wolford said in an emailed statement. "Those are the only details I have to share right now."

The restaurant had originally planned to open in the fall.

The Sioux Falls location could open in December of this year at the earliest, Wolford said in an email.

However, construction on the future site of Chipotle continues to be on track.

Empire Place, the retail complex that will serve as a home for Chipotle, is actively being developed along 41st Street near the mall and expected to be finished within the original timeline, said Raquel Blount, vice president of commercial real estate for Lloyd Cos.