Chipotle Mexican Grill plans to open a restaurant in April on Marshall Street in the former location of King David’s Restaurant, which has served Middle Eastern cuisine on the Hill for 36 years.

‘As of now, the restaurant is looking like it will open in April, though that’s still far enough out that we won’t set a date for it, and it could slide, depending on how things progress,’ Chipotle spokesman Chris Arnold said in an e-mail. 

The opening on Marshall Street will mark the introduction of Chipotle’s second restaurant to the area. The first one opened on Erie Boulevard East in DeWitt, N.Y., last October. Known for its burritos and other Mexican food, Chipotle restaurants are typically open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., the standard hours of the Colorado-based chain, Arnold said.

Arnold would not provide the cost of construction for the new restaurant, but he said the average development cost of a Chipotle is about $800,000.

After about a year of back-and-forth talks, King David’s struck a final agreement nearly two months ago to lease the lower floor of the two-story building on Marshall Street to Chipotle, said Charlie Hatem, co-owner of King David’s. The Syracuse Common Council unanimously approved Chipotle’s proposal to replace King David’s on Nov. 8.

King David’s served its last meals at lunchtime on Dec. 24 but plans to move upstairs above Chipotle. Hatem said he hopes to open the new location in March or April. The restaurant will keep its popular dishes, such as falafels, on the menu but will cut some items, especially those that take longer to prepare, Hatem said. The new restaurant will be a bit smaller and have more of a ‘Middle Eastern flare,’ he said.

‘It’ll be more intimate, nicer view,’ he said. ‘You got a great view of the campus.’

King David’s has two other locations in Fayetteville and DeWitt.

mcboren@syr.edu

A previous version of this article appeared dailyorange.com on Dec. 23.

Published on January 17, 2011 at 12:00 pm