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Started 6 months ago by News
Latest reply from jarsloth

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News
Columbus Underground
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Restaurant to take on Chipotle locally
By Tracy Turner
The Columbus Dispatch
Wednesday November 2, 2011 8:03 AM

Moe’s Southwest Grill is looking to take on Chipotle in central Ohio. The Atlanta-based, fast-casual Mexican restaurant chain already has seven locations in Ohio — mostly in the Cleveland and Cincinnati areas. Yesterday, it announced plans to add 23 of its Tex-Mex restaurants in the central Ohio region.

The goal is to open its first Columbus location as early as next year, with the remaining stores to open locally within five years.

READ MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2011/11/02/restaurant-to-take-on-chipotle-locally.html

Posted 6 months ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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The Columbus Dispatch said:
The goal is to open its first Columbus location as early as next year, with the remaining stores to open locally within five years.

Weird. There was one located at 1980 North High Street next to OSU for awhile, but it closed.

Anyway, we ate at a Moe's a couple times in the south (I think in Auburn, Alabama) and thought it was decent food with an annoying theme. Giving your tacos and burritos *craaaaaazy* names like "Joey Bag of Donuts" just came across as trying too hard. Maybe because it's a chain? I'm not sure.

If Moe's opens Downtown I'm sure I'll stop in from time to time. ;)

Posted 6 months ago #
NerosNeptune
Goodale Park
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Couldn't help but laugh at this quote from the article:

“The presence of a lot of Chipotle in the area on some level validates that there is a need for this type of food there,” Corp said. “Their brand is wonderful, and it does well, but our brand is the opposite."

Posted 6 months ago #
Mister Shifter
Lewis Center
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I liked:

“We’re less serious and have a more ‘come as you are and have a great meal’ atmosphere.”

Chipotle is a "serious" place to eat?

Posted 6 months ago #
myliftkk
Columbus, OH
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Walker said:
Weird. There was one located at 1980 North High Street next to OSU for awhile, but it closed.

Anyway, we ate at a Moe's a couple times in the south (I think in Auburn, Alabama) and thought it was decent food with an annoying theme. Giving your tacos and burritos *craaaaaazy* names like "Joey Bag of Donuts" just came across as trying too hard. Maybe because it's a chain? I'm not sure.

If Moe's opens Downtown I'm sure I'll stop in from time to time. ;)

We had these in Orlando and all I remember is being greeted with a hair-curling yell of "Welcome to Moe's!" when I stepped inside for the first time. I never went back.

Moe's is like the Hollywood & Vine hooker of the burrito industry.

Posted 6 months ago #
myliftkk
Columbus, OH
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Mister Shifter said:
I liked:

“We’re less serious and have a more ‘come as you are and have a great meal’ atmosphere.”

Don't they have a Smells Like Teen Spirit Salad or something?

Posted 6 months ago #
Mister Shifter
Lewis Center
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myliftkk said:
We had these in Orlando and all I remember is being greeted with a hair-curling yell of "Welcome to Moe's!" when I stepped inside for the first time. I never went back.

Moe's is like the Hollywood & Vine hooker of the burrito industry.

Their "Welome to Moe's!" yell/greeting is part of their fun!!!/zany/wacky vibe. Places that have people yell across the counter when you walk in the door make me not want to go back as well. It's tacky and the opposite of welcoming.

Posted 6 months ago #
Anne
King Lincoln
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Mister Shifter said:
I liked:

“We’re less serious and have a more ‘come as you are and have a great meal’ atmosphere.”

Chipotle is a "serious" place to eat?

Chipotle is getting serious about local sourcing, maybe that is the seriousness they are referring to? :)

Posted 6 months ago #
Snarf
Dystopia
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Mister Shifter said:
Their "Welome to Moe's!" yell/greeting is part of their fun!!!/zany/wacky vibe. Places that have people yell across the counter when you walk in the door make me not want to go back as well. It's tacky and the opposite of welcoming.

I embrace it and yell back.

Posted 6 months ago #
shadytree
clintonville
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"we do extremely well at and near universities.” That's all they need to say.

I really can't stand the whole yelling thing. Generally, it's not fun and friendly if it was decided on in a corporate office; it's forced and I don't find forced greetings to be friendly. I feel bad for people who have to work there, knowing they'll get written up for not yelling. Also, reading about who owns the company and who in turn owns that company makes me appreciate local places where you can point to one person inside the building and say "she owns this place."

Posted 6 months ago #
tolemac5050

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I remember one in Bexley that is now the Bexley Pizza Plus...

Posted 6 months ago #
myliftkk
Columbus, OH
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Mister Shifter said:
Their "Welome to Moe's!" yell/greeting is part of their fun!!!/zany/wacky vibe. Places that have people yell across the counter when you walk in the door make me not want to go back as well. It's tacky and the opposite of welcoming.

I did realize their inhuman verbal assault upon entry was a corporate dictate. But, it reinforced the point that if what upper management cares about is launching aural cannon balls at customers, it's probably designed to distract me from sub-par food.

Carnival barker antics are best left to the carnival, I fully agree.

Posted 6 months ago #
dubdave00
Dublin
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My friends and I went to the OSU location, once, and never went back.

The scream didn't bother us when walking in, as much as it did while waiting in line and then sitting and eating food. You know, the majority of the time you're in the restaurant. :-)

Posted 6 months ago #
tolemac5050

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DiBella's subs does the same thing...calling out "welcome to DiBellas" when you enter....

Posted 6 months ago #
leftovers

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Another place that yell's greetings is CiCi's pizza. I guess we can see where this is going. I think I'll go with Chipotle's 'seriousness'.

Posted 6 months ago #
KSquared
Literally Hell
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Anne said:
Chipotle is getting serious about local sourcing, maybe that is the seriousness they are referring to? :)

They are also serious about some pretty great advertising as of late.

Get the Video Plugin

Get the Video Plugin

Posted 6 months ago #
Mister Shifter
Lewis Center
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KSquared said:
They are also serious about some pretty great advertising as of late.

Get the Video Plugin

Get the Video Plugin

Wow, phenomenal stuff. That second one was gutting.

Posted 6 months ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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Snarf said:
I embrace it and yell back.

Heh. Place your order yelling from the doorway? ;)

Posted 6 months ago #
vestanpance
Harrison West/at work OSU
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on a unrelated note, chipotle has gone in the old baja fresh spot on Bethel... That makes me giggle for some reason.

Posted 6 months ago #
DavidF
Elysium Fields
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tolemac5050 said:
DiBella's subs does the same thing...calling out "welcome to DiBellas" when you enter....

Firehouse subs too. They've got a whole schtick that I couldn't even understand from the way they bellowed it out.

Posted 6 months ago #