Chipotle vs Qdoba - Milton Avenue Rivals

Forget McDonald's and Burger King or Taco Bell and Taco Johns there's a new rivalry in town! With the increasing popularity of the FAST CASUAL restaurant, Milton Avenue is adding yet another to the line up. The grand opening for Chipotle Mexican Grill (Chipotle), located at 3515 Milton Ave next to the NEW Diamond Center, is slated for a June 18 2015 OPENING.  

You may know that Chipotle is a chain of restaurants specializing in burritos and tacos. Its name drives from chipotle, the Nahuatl name for a smoked and dried jalapeno chili pepper. The company mission statement, Food with Integrity, which highlights its efforts in using organic ingredients, and serves more naturally raised meat than any other restaurant chain. Chipotle is said to be one of the first chains of fast casual dining establishments. 

(To learn more about fast casual dining see my previous blog What is Fast Casual Food?).  

The Chipotle concept might sound a bit familiar to some of you, say Qdoba Mexican Grill? The fast casual establishment on the corner of Milton Ave and Humes Rd. Qdoba serves burritos made in the San Francisco burrito style. The name? It was made up by an ad agency, Heckler & Associates. The company slogan "We Live Food". One of the founding partners, Robert Hauser, developed most of the recipes and tried to design the menu to be healthier by replacing the use of traditional animal fats with vegetable oils and tried to use more fresh vegetables and herbs when he could. Qdoba Mexican Grill was founded just two years after Chipotle in the same city, Denver, Co.

So why am I telling you all of this? I wanted to give you a little background before I move into the really important stuff...

WHICH FAST CASUAL RESTAURANT IS BETTER?

I decided to compare the following: nutritional value, price, and taste. I couldn't compare service since I had to take a field trip to visit a Chipotle, I selected the Machesney Park, IL location.I chose a flour shell chicken burrito with black beans, salsa, and guacamole from both Qdoba and Chiopolte. 

To start I compared the NUTRITIONAL VALUE. According to Everyday Health there are 5 Essential Nutrients to Stay Alive. I have italicized four below, the fifth is WATER. I also compared calories, calories from fat, fiber, sugar and sodium, nutritional information I try to be aware of. 

NUTRITION:             QDOBA          CHIPOTLE
Protein                 44g              49g
Carbs                   87g             81g
Total Fat               28g              40g
Saturated Fat           6.5g             7.5g
Trans Fat                0g               0g
Monounsat Fat           11g               ?
Polyunsat Fat            4g               ?
Cholestrol             130mg            125mg 
Vit A                   14%DV            26%DV
Vit C                   15%DV            36%DV

Calories                785              850
Calories from Fat       225              345.5
Fiber                    20g              22.5g
Sugar                     4g               5g
Sodium                 1920mg           1845mg

Kind of a toss up, huh? Personal preference? The last five things are what I like to compare so my opinion = Qdoba. Less calories and calories from fat but the sodium content... Wow!

Next I compared PRICE.

QDOBA          CHIPOTLE
$7.80            $8.45

Through this comparison I learned that guacamole is free at Qdoba and $1.95 at Chipotle.

Then I compared TASTE. Typically I hear that people prefer Chipotle over Qdoba. Why you ask? So did I! I hear things like the salsa is spicier, the steak is better, the guacamole is tastier, and the beans are drained better. My opinion, I thought that the flour tortilla at Qdoba did a much better job of holding everything together but the flavor was about the same at both locations. I preferred the chicken at Chipotle, seasoned well, moist, and tender. The black beans at Qdoba were better drained making the tortilla much less soggy than Chipotle. I thought the guacamole at Qdoba was better, creamy, fresh and perfectly seasoned. Again, kind of a toss up?

So which do you think is better? Chipotle or Qdoba? It's closer than reputation had led me to believe. Lets face it, indulging in an entire burrito at one sitting (785-850 calories) equates to nearly two meals for my dietary needs. I do love guacamole and the fact that I thought it was tastier and FREE at Qdoba makes me tingly inside but if I had to give up the guac I'd say the chicken at Chipotle was better. And since I'm skipping the guacamole that means that the Chipotle price would be less than Qdoba, $.65 less. But what about the watery black beans at Chipotle? Ugh.. IN THE END IT'S ALL JUST A MATTER OF PERSONAL PREFERENCE!

IN THE NEWS: 

Chipolte - the first national restaurant chain to cook with only non-GMO ingredients, (Genetically Modified Ingredients)

Chipotle to offer tuition reimbursement to hourly workers

Why all the FUSS over Festival Foods?

Since the rumors started circulating about Festival Foods coming to the former Kmart site all I've heard is, “ANOTHER grocery store?” I know, I know,  I've done the rundown of all the grocers in Janesville so let’s review them together, we have Woodman's, Walmart, Sam's, Target, Schnuk's, Sentry, Piggly Wiggly, Pic N Save, Basics and Aldi. Am I forgetting anyone???

Now, which one(s) do you shop at?

Think about it now... 

I shop at several, some for convenience, price, processed food, produce, meat, seafood, cheese, party portions and toiletries. I wondered what I might like to shop for at Festival Foods, so I decided to take a road trip to the nearest one in Fort Atkinson. My list consisted of a belated birthday card, a bottle of wine, and skim milk. The necessities ;)

It was a Sunday afternoon with partly cloudy skies and 60 degree weather, a pretty nice day for early April in Wisconsin. I pulled into the parking lot, it was somewhat full but I was able to find a spot near the entrance. I’ve been told that the Fort Atkinson store is a “rehab” store (formerly Sentry) and it doesn’t reflect the latest and greatest floor plan of the future Festival Foods in Janesville. I grabbed a cart, made a mental note of the Redbox automated DVD rental, and walked into the store. I was immediately taken by the fresh flowers and the floral arrangements to my right. Also nearby, was the Tot Spot, a childcare area where children can stay/play during the hours of 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Now I have a 13 year old, but boy would that have been convenient 10 years ago. I slowly strolled by what appeared to be the bulk or sale items of the week followed by the large and beautifully displayed produce department. Yummy!

Next was the Wine & Spirits store which can be entered through the grocery store or by way of the curb. Note: wine was an item on my list. I noticed the brand I typically buy in Janesville that was marked $4.00 more than Woodman's Liquor Store price so I decided to pass. (The Janesville Festival Foods liquor store will not be accessible through the actual store but through another entrance like other Janesville grocers that sell alcohol).

Then I ran into the greeting card area, another item on my list, it was pretty small and I wasn't taken with any of their belated birthday cards they had to offer. Personally, Basics is my favorite place to purchase a card.

Then I skimmed the Lunch Meat/Hot Dog/Dinner Sausage coolers. They were nicely displayed with lots of variety but not an item on my list.

My next stop was the Meat and Seafood department. Oh my goodness, it looked spectacular! I typically purchase my steak and seafood at Schnuck’s, this was definitely comparable. There was also a cooler of fish displayed a little further down from the fresh cuts and I noticed a nice package of two piece salmon, prepackaged and oven ready, $6.49. It was suddenly in my cart.

The Dairy department was next. It was average sized but not nearly the variety of brands that other Janesville grocers carry. Skim milk was an item on my list. Therefore, I picked up a ½ gallon of the Dean brand for $2.29. I glanced at the assortment of cheeses. In my opinion, Woodman’s and Basics have a better selection.

As I entered the Deli area, I was pleasantly greeted by the smell of rotisserie chicken, one of my many favorites. Sam’s Club offers a large rotisserie chicken for $5.00, but I couldn’t resist and picked up one for $6.99. Note: this was NOT on my list and this was just one of many items I could have picked up in the Deli. The slogan “Dine At Home” is displayed in this department. Um, yeah… They had all kinds of scrumptious things, fresh salads, pastas, BBQ ribs, chicken, you name it, they had it! The deli also featured a salad bar and a hot bar along with a table and chairs for the dine at store customer. I was tempted.

Lastly was the Bakery, another oh my goodness moment! I purchased yet another item NOT on my list, six M&M cookies, for $3.99. (It took everything inside of me not to open them on the car ride home).

I proceeded to the checkout without even entering into the lines of canned, boxed and professionally packaged foods, my total $19.76 plus tax. I headed home feeling satisfied with my road trip.

Once I got home though I decided to do a little more research on the grocer and visited their website, festfoods.com. It was filled with great information like an Ads & Coupon Savings Center, an option to subscribe for weekly specials to be sent to your email, a “Tip of the Week”, a fruit and vegetable guide “What’s Peak this Week”, recipes, as well as an eat well/health, community events, and sampling and savings event tabs. But what I found most interesting was that Festival Foods is a family-owned company operating stores throughout Wisconsin. It was founded in 1946 in Onalaska, Wis as Skogen’s IGA by Paul and Jane Skogen. With only $500 of borrowed money, Paul and Jane began the company which now operates 18 full-service, state-of-the-art supermarkets and employs more than 5,000 full and part-time associates. Festival Foods is well-known for its “Boomerang Theory” – every business decision is based on the question, “Will it bring the customer back?” Interesting, a Wisconsin founded and based family-owned company that will boost employment in Rock County and the “Boomerang Theory.” You betcha, I’ll be back!

Roundabouts are OUT and Diverging Diamonds are IN

Janesville residents were first introduced to the "modern" roundabout in 2007, one at the intersection of Sandhill Drive and Sandstone and the other on Morse Street off of Hwy 26 at the entrance of the new Menards development. Two more roundabouts were constructed in 2013 at the Racine Street on/off ramps with I-39/90. The roundabout was such a hot topic during construction that the City of Janesville posted a "Roundabouts" selection under Department and Services tab on their website in hopes of helping drivers navigate around the central island. While I've never personally been in or witnessed an accident in these areas, I can't deny that the roundabout provides a safer driving environment by reducing speeds and conflict points and allowing easier decision-making for drivers. So maybe the roundabout is everything they said it would be. But what is a Diverging Diamond Intersection and will the City of Janesville soon be providing us with yet another selection under the Department and Services tab? The Wisconsin Department of Transportation already has. 

The Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) is said to be a revolutionary design that transfers traffic to the opposite sides of the road for a short distance to allow vehicles to make direct turns on the highway. Experts say diverging diamonds are safer than traditional highway ramps because they eliminate turns in front of oncoming vehicles. The DDI allows cars to enter the highway without turning in front of oncoming traffic. The design is said to improve the efficiency of an interchange. The diverging diamond design is more compact than other highway ramps, which means it requires less land and a smaller bridge and ramp system.

So, between now and 2021 Janesville residents and travelers all around will be introduced to the DDI at both I-39/90 and Hwy 26/Milton Avenue and I-39/90 and Hwy 11/Avalon Road. All though the definition of the DDI seems complicated and at the very least confusing I assume that if I just concern myself with what is ahead of me instead of what is going on around me I'll be just fine, right? Below is a link showing an animation of both the I-39/90 and Wis 26 Diverging Diamond Interchange as well as the I-39/90 Wis 11 DDI. Check it out.

I-39/90 and Wis 26 (Milton Avenue) Diverging Diamond Interchange Animation
I-39/90 and Wis 11 (Avalon Road) Diverging Diamond Interchange Animation


The diverging diamond interchange was listed by Popular Science magazine as one of the best innovations in 2009 (engineering category) in "Best of What's New in 2009". 

What is Fast Casual Food?

Fast casual is THE THING, but it’s surprisingly hard to define what it is exactly. What makes fast casual food fast causal—and not simply fast food? And at what point do we draw the line between fast casual places and the likes of Applebee’s, which have table service, but also takeout? The answer might simply depend on whom you ask.

Most industry experts can agree that an essential component of the fast casual category is its price point, which ranges from $9 to $13 dollars per receipt, compared to an average ticket closer to $5 for fast food restaurants. But wait – there’s more. Fast casual restaurants also, ideally, earn less than 50 percent of their business from full service sit down meals. Otherwise they too closely resemble casual dining restaurants, like Applebee's. There's a lot of other criteria too.

10     Different Markers of Restaurants that Fall within the Category:

1.       the quality of the food

2.       the use of better ingredients

3.       food that is wholesome

4.       a perception of freshness

5.       first-rate décor

6.       fair pricing

7.       fast service

8.       friendly employees

9.       flexible offerings

10.   a full view of how the food is prepared

I started to make a list of fast casual restaurants that exist in Rock County and I have to admit I had to take a few off of the list due to #10 and I may have even considered a few that maybe shouldn’t be on the list. So help me out and post a comment or two.

What Fast Casual Restaurants Exist in Rock County?

Qdoba Mexican Grill, Panda Express Chinese Restaurant, Noodles & Company, Panera Bread, Fuddruckers, World’s Greatest Hamburgers, Fazoli's, Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches, and the future Chipotle Mexican Grill rumored to be Bessie the Cow's neighbor.