New Dairy Queen, Chipotle combo may be coming to Somerset County

A unique combination of businesses may be coming to Branchburg, and if you have a sweet tooth, you might be in luck.

If things go well at the Feb. 19 Planning Board meeting, there eventually could be a Dairy Queen Grill and Chill in the Somerset County town of about 15,000 people. It would be built on a 3+ acre property that now has a motel and trailer court and sits between 22 and 28.

At the current time, the nearest Dairy Queen to that area is on Morristown Road in Bernardsville. Along with the proposed DQ, and in a separate building on the same property, would be a Chipotle. In addition, there would be a smaller building serving as a convenience store with gas pumps.

It’s a toss-up whether it will happen because a use variance would be required since the businesses are not permitted in that zone. Variances from the township zoning ordinance are also required for maximum impervious coverage and having three "principal buildings" on the same lot.

But Branchburg has been eyeing that area for future development, so who knows? If you’re looking for a fresh, build-your-own burrito and a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard, it might just come to be.

As of last year, Chipotle had over 3,700 locations in seven countries, and Dairy Queen, around since 1940, has more than 4,400 locations in the U.S..

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

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