New Grill Spices Up Mexican Food Fight

Felipe’s Taqueria will soon lose its monopoly on Mexican fast food in the Square.

Qdoba Mexican Grill, a national chain with over 300 franchises around the country, will move into 1280 Mass. Ave., on the corner of Linden Street, this March. Owners say Qdoba will offer a full menu of Mexican staples, along with “warm tones” and “very nice wood furniture.”

“We have been pursuing this location for over three years,” said Gad Liwerant, a co-owner of Chair 5 Restaurants, which controls Qdoba’s franchising rights in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

A lease on the space was signed last month, and owners say tacos will start being served up in mid-March. A spokesman said the restaurant will stay open until midnight seven days a week.

Qdoba’s flashy website provides a preview for students wondering what culinary creations will next hit the Square. A chicken taco salad features a “crispy flour tortilla bowl filled with shredded romaine, black bean corn salsa, picante ranch dressing, lite sour cream and choice of salsa.”

Liwerant, a Mexico native and 1998 graduate of Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, said he was looking for a street-level location close to the Yard that was also handicap accessible.

He said he helped design the storefront in a “unique” way that would retain the aesthetic flavor of the Square.

“If you are on the rush you can go to Qdoba, but if you want to stay there, you can stay there as long as you want,” Liwerant said. “It’s a pretty nice environment.”

Qdoba describes itself as a “fast casual” chain because, Liwerant said, the food is fresh and prepared daily on-site. Like Felipe’s, the new space will include an open-air kitchen.

“You can tell the person who is fielding your dish what exactly you want,” Liwerant said.

The owner of Felipe’s could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Asked whether a national chain will change the character of the Square, Liwerant noted that stores like Starbucks, the Gap, and Au Bon Pain already own franchises in the area—and that this particular Qdoba branch will be locally owned.

“The important thing is the quality of your concept, not whether it’s a chain or not,” said Liwerant, who lives in the Square.

The executive director of the Harvard Square Business Association (HSBA), Denise A. Jillson, said that she supported Qdoba’s entry into the area, despite it being a national chain.

“We don’t get to pick and choose who comes to the Square,” Jillson said, but added that “everyone brings their own unique perspective to the table and we welcome them all.”

Jillson said that Qdoba’s owners have already participated in Harvard Square events such as October Fest.

—Staff writer Shifra B. Mincer can be reached at smincer@fas.harvard.edu.