Mackensy Lunsford

Ready for Chipotle's brand of Mexican food? According to spokeswoman Danielle Winslow, Chipotle will open Dec. 19 in South Asheville. NOTE: A different Chipotle spokesperson just informed us that it will be the 20th.

Asheville's first Chipotle will be at 1830 Hendersonville Road, in front of the Publix grocery store. That Publix, incidentally, is slated for a spring opening. Representatives for the grocery store chain could not confirm an exact date.

Chipotle is a fast-casual chain serving burritos, tacos and salads. McDonald's became a major investor in the company in 1998, then divested itself in 2006. Since then, the restaurant has ballooned to include more than 1,750 stores across the country, all of which are company-owned.

Chipotle adopted the slogan, "Food with Integrity," to emphasize its effort to add organic and sustainably raised products to its menu.