How Chipotle Accelerated Their Building Permit Timeline by 13 Weeks
3 weeks
for building permit approval (vs. 16 weeks projected)
0
revision cycles needed for plan review
$750K+
in potential revenue gained by opening nearly 3 months earlier
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GreenLite’s private plan review delivered strong results in Royal Palm Beach and removed many headaches for my team. They’ve earned my trust as a high-integrity partner who delivers.
Cheryl Heidorn
Director of Development, Chipotle Mexican Grill
THE PROBLEM
Chipotle’s ambitious Southeast growth ran into significant permitting hurdles, especially in Florida, where COVID-19 had slowed municipal workflows.
The Director of Construction highlighted Royal Palm Beach as a prime example: despite expecting approvals within 120 days, inconsistent local processes, evolving regulations, and minimal city feedback dragged timelines far beyond that window.
Expeditors provided only modest relief, lacking the deep code expertise and direct authority needed to navigate Florida’s layered requirements. Each day a store remained in permitting meant thousands of dollars in lost revenue, mounting frustration among project stakeholders, and a growing risk to Chipotle’s broader expansion goals.
To regain control and expedite site openings, Chipotle needed a qualified private provider of plan reviews who could break through municipal backlogs and avoid the usual rework and lengthy delays so common in Southeast Florida.
Before GreenLite, permitting was a constant bottleneck with no visibility or control. Delays, uncertainty, and endless review cycles made it impossible to stay on track. Expeditors failed us and we needed a true partner to take ownership.
Every week a store opening was delayed meant tens of thousands of dollars in lost revenue. The team spent countless hours navigating bureaucratic hurdles instead of focusing on site development and strategic planning. What had once been viewed as a frustrating but accepted part of the process had become an unsustainable roadblock to growth. Take 5 needed a solution that would cut through the red tape, bring predictability to permitting, and allow them to scale efficiently.
THE SOLUTION
GreenLite brought an in-house team of architects, engineers, and regulatory experts to take full ownership of the Royal Palm Beach building permit.
By acting as an integrated partner with Chipotle’s design team, GreenLite conducted pre-submission compliance audits, developed local playbooks, and coordinated a rapid private plan review that bypassed municipal bottlenecks.
Key Steps:
- Private plan review – Fast-tracked plan approval with 0 revision cycles
- Pre-submission compliance audits – Eliminated costly back-and-forth on code issues
- Concurrent civil & building review – Approved building permit while civil work was in progress
- Atlas Dashboard – Provided real-time tracking from intake to issuance
With every detail managed end-to-end—from correcting energy compliance forms to final approvals—Chipotle’s team was freed up to focus on construction and store operations.
GreenLite understands our business. Their technical expertise, jurisdictional playbooks, and Atlas Dashboard insights give us confidence in project timelines with unmatched transparency.
Additionally, GreenLite’s Portfolio Dashboard (aka “Atlas”) provided real-time tracking of every permit in the pipeline, giving Take 5’s team complete transparency into approval timelines, pending actions, and jurisdictional trends.
GreenLite owned the entire process from intake to approval. The result was a seamless, proactive, and highly efficient permitting operation that gave Take 5’s team the confidence to plan and execute their expansion strategy without unnecessary roadblocks.
THE RESULT
GreenLite’s private plan review delivered the final building permit approval in just 3 weeks.
3weeks for building permit approval (vs. 16 weeks projected)
Zerorevision cycles needed for plan review
$750K+in potential revenue gained by opening nearly 3 months earlier
By avoiding any municipality-required revision cycles, Chipotle saved tens of thousands in immediate costs and captured $750K+ in potential additional revenue by enabling an opening nearly 3 months sooner.
Real-time project insights and a proactive approach transformed permitting from a 4-month headache to a smooth, efficient process. As Chipotle expands further in 2025, GreenLite remains a trusted partner for ensuring permitting doesn’t stand in the way of growth.