Hutchinson Leader - Chipotle seeks Burrito Guy change - Comments

Please realize that "THEY"

bnast — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 08:53:17 -0600

Please realize that "THEY" (ie: the owners of BG) did not share the same religion, at all. Due to this, I would assume they did not share the same views on business hours. Without getting into a debate-I would argue that some religios affiliations are more 'old-school' with values and beliefs than others which could make it difficult to accomodate current day wants and needs of the general public in a business scenario.

I heard thier food was

kellyM — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 13:48:03 -0600

I heard thier food was great. But every time I went there to try it they were closed. After the third time, I gave up and decided it wasn't worth the time and gas money to drive accross town to be disappointed.

Their strange hours were the

flowerladytoo — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 09:41:14 -0600

Their strange hours were the main reason we never tried them. They were closed when we wanted to go out to eat. I heard from others the food was excellent. It's a shame they couldn't make it, and I believe their limited hours of operation were a big factor in the failure of the business.

I am not of their religion

B@ssDoctor — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 07:44:58 -0600

I am not of their religion and don't understand the hours that they can work, but when you own your own business, business is business. You cannot keep you doors open 40% of the time and expect to make a profit. Saturday and Sunday CLOSED? This was a few months ago, but come on. Do you really expect to make a living from 11-7 Mon-Friday?

Now that this building is set up for food, I hope the next owner sets the business up for poeples needs (i.e. Open when people normally eat). I live 3 blocks from the BG and I have only eaten there once.

Not to mention the peculiar

Raymond Norton — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 21:23:53 -0600

Not to mention the peculiar hours they kept. It is never good for business when people have to wonder if you're open or not.

The reason you don't see

just1opinion — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 13:58:23 -0600

The reason you don't see Chipotle in Hutch (or towns this size) and the reason Burrito Guy didn't make it here is because the menu is too specialized. How many people in Hutch will eat enough burrito's in a week to sustain them? You need more variety in a small town so you appeal to enough people to stay in business.

Why would the city deny

Wolfman — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 10:39:31 -0600

Why would the city deny Chipotle to open here or any other business within zoning requirements? I do know that you do not see Chipoltle Mexican Grill's in towns with populations similar to Hutchinson.

The reason Chipotle knew

TiffaniE — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 10:03:23 -0600

The reason Chipotle knew about Burrito Guy is because Chipotle was going to be BG, but the City denied. I have been to BG and their guacamole taste just like Chipotle's! Like it has been said, Chipotle isn't upset about the food but about the appearance. It makes me upset that this is such a controversial topic in Hutchinson when we have other things to worry about.

NOOOOOO!!!!! That is

Eric Kraushar — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 23:31:38 -0600

NOOOOOO!!!!! That is terrible news. No more BG lunch breaks.

Burrito Guy - Rest In

bdwright — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 20:47:19 -0600

Burrito Guy - Rest In Peace.

I was in there on Wednesday, and both owners said that today was their last day in business. Burrito Guy is closed. They both stated it had nothing to do with the Chipotle dispute. This town simply doesn't buy enough burritos.

A big bummer! Hutchinson used to be a town "without a Chipotle". We had upgraded to a town with at least a "Faux Chipotle". Now we're back to a place with a bunch of mediocre fast food and an Applebees.

A Saddened Transplant

Only ate at Chipotle a few

WHEREISTHEFREEDOM — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 21:01:18 -0500

Only ate at Chipotle a few times? It looks like they did their research in only a few visits? Yah right. One of the Burrito Guy owners must have worked at one before. I believe that the reason Chipotle found the Buritto Guy in the small town of Hutchinson was, 98% of customers walking through the door in the first few weeks agreed on one thing, "it's just like Chipotle". The owner say they did not copy the Chipotle Concept, but during the building (remodeling) every contractor, vendors, citizens were all told and were telling everyong that a new food place is opening up and it is going to be just like Chipotle. Well the owner must have made that a point during construction. The Burrito Guy does look like a Chipotle plain and simple. Yes Subway sells subs like Quiznos but there is a huge difference, Subway is cheap and has a simple look, Quiznos on the other hand is more money and has more upscale look. Totally different in taste and quality. Taco Bell and Taco Johns, same thing the Bell is cheaper and while the Johns is a little higher in price, but also has a completly different tast and almost all items between the two places are made with a few different ingredients to make the difference, you don't have Ole's in your burittos at the Bell or have a Taco Bravo on the menu over at the Bell. TGI Fridays, Applebees, and Chilis, all different looks but are all in the same type of dining (casual dining) They all have there unique recipes and signature foods/drinks that make these place different. Different tastes, different names, do I need to go on? You notice a difference between these places, but with the Burrito Guy staging his place to look like Chipotle must have been an accident, how about the menu they got online? Yes, you may be able to buy it online for $25.00, but that does not mean you can use their menu. I've seen TGI Fridays, Applebees, Chilis, and other big names on EBAY, having recipes for sale. Does that mean you can use the big guys recipe? NO. The menu at Burrito Guy is the same as Chipotle, minus alcoholic beverage. The names of each buritto, the names and what is in each buritto is the same. If the Burrito Guys would have come up with there own look before opening, they would not have this problem. But with the same look and same food, that just triggered a Chipotle lawyer to step in. If the place would have had a different LOOK, Chipotle probably would have never known about this.

I think that both resturants

ashwee — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 19:53:12 -0500

I think that both resturants are very similiar, but one thing's not and that's the price. I'm not willing to pay the 7.50 for just a burrito. If they had a value meal, for example(burrito, chips, and a pop) for 7.50, I would be willing to pay for that. I think that Burrito Guy would get more customers that way.

I do think that they should change maybe their colors, so that they don't match Chipotle, because they do look the same.

As just an example of how

Terry Davis — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 08:36:28 -0500

As just an example of how closely tied a business can be to its trade dress (building design, shape, colors, etc.) as I've driven around the upper Midwest I've often seen family restaurants that obviously were former Country Kitchens that had closed or been converted. The buildings' shape and exterior are dead giveaways.

The same can sometimes be true of the many former Hardees. While some, such as the former Hardees that were converted to Burger King restaurants in Litchfield and Glencoe now look like BKs, other former Hardees still look like a Hardees even though they may be a real estate office, such as in Waconia, or some other business.

The trade dress tells people what business they are in. It is especially important in the highly competitive food service industry from research I've done.

Wolfman is right in that the idea is not to confuse the customers. You want them to return to your business, not to a competitor who looks exactly like your restaurant mistakenly thinking it is your place.

(Terry Davis is a staff writer for the Hutchinson Leader. He can be reached at davis@hutchinsonleader.com.)

As the owner of a restaurant

Wolfman — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 20:57:40 -0500

As the owner of a restaurant franchise I understand exactly what Chipotle is saying. The have developed a business system and it is very obvious to anyone who has visited a Chipotle and Burrito Guy that they share many similarities. Many companies have trade dress which is basically like a trademark on a logo that protects the business system from infringment by another party or business. This can include decor, facility, and even uniforms. As far as them not wanting to pay franchise fees (a rumor that I also heard) I don't believe that Chipotle even offers franchises for sale. If they did I would be tempted to invest in one.

I don't think this is about

Wolfman — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 20:56:11 -0500

I don't think this is about threatening a big chain. I believe this is about the potential for people to think that Chipolte and Burrito Guy are affiliated which they are not. As a customer of both places it is very apparent to me what Burrito Guy was modeled after. If I wouldn't have seen the sign on the building that said Burrito Guy I would have thought I was eating at a Chipolte Mexican Grill. There is nothing wrong with being a small business but you cannot take someone else's idea once it is trademarked.

Chipotle seeks Burrito Guy change

Terry Davis — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 13:19:55 -0500

Bradley Olson and Terry Mills see themselves as two regular guys trying to eke out a living working 75 hours per week each in their fledging Hutchinson restaurant, Burrito Guy.