Both concepts will occupy free-standing buildings within 140-acre business community
in St. Mary’s County, with openings anticipated late this year and in 2025

BALTIMORE, MD – Quick-service restaurant Chipotle Mexican Grill, together with convenience store chain Royal Farms, have announced intentions to join the retail tenant roster at Lexington Exchange, a 140-acre mixed-use business community in California, Maryland. Both groups have signed leases with St. John Properties, Inc. to occupy buildings on separate pad sites, with Chipotle scheduled to open by the end of this year, and Royal Farms slated to begin operations in the second half of 2025. Bill Holzman, Vice President, Retail Leasing for St. John Properties represented the landlord in both transactions.

Chipotle Mexican Grill plans to open the company’s first Chipotlane®, featuring a drive thru pickup lane, in St. Mary’s County within a 2,325 square foot building fronting Three Notch Road. The company, which expects to open approximately 300 new stores this year, is known for its burritos, tacos, burrito bowls and salads utilizing high-quality ingredients, combined with an interactive experience that allows consumers to customize their meal. This new location comes after Chipotle announced a 7.4 percent increase in store traffic last quarter. Bill Dickinson and Melissa Webb of Rappaport Companies represented Chipotle Mexican Grill in this lease transaction.

Royal Farm intends to construct a new 5,786 square foot convenience store on a pad site also overlooking Three Notch Road. Upon its opening, this will be the chain’s fifth location in the St. John Properties portfolio, joining sites in Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties. The Baltimore-based convenience store chain, which presently operates more than 270 stores across six states, is recognized for its “World-Famous Chicken” fried chicken, breakfast sandwiches, as well as made-to-order subs, chicken sandwiches, and wraps. The Lexington Exchange site will also be outfitted with fuel pumps.

Lexington Exchange presently contains five buildings, including approximately 120,000 square feet of flex/R&D space and 65,000 square feet of retail. Located along Three Notch Road (MD Route 235) and within one-half mile from Patuxent Beach Road (MD Route 4), the park is configured to support approximately 600,000 square feet of commercial space.

St. John Properties is presently marketing several pad sites at Lexington Exchange fronting Three Notch Road that can support end-users including big-box and junior anchor retailers, restaurants, financial institutions, or urgent care facilities. With nearly 45,000 consumers residing within a five-mile radius, and approximately 110,000 consumers within 10 miles, the business community presently contains an ALDI grocery store and 12-screen RC Theatres cinema. 31,170 vehicles pass Lexington Exchange daily via Three Notch.

“Both Chipotle Mexican Grill and Royal Farms are highly-recognized and well-operated retail concepts which bring tremendous value to Lexington Exchange tenants and the surrounding community,” explained Bill Holzman, Vice President of Retail Leasing for St. John Properties. “Convenience stores add a little bit of everything, in a relatively small footprint, so we enjoy having them as part of our retail scheme in business parks. Consumers and businesspeople are increasingly gravitating towards quick-service restaurants that offer healthy food options as well as catering to the grab-and-go lifestyle, and Chipotle is a leader in this category.”

Founded in 1971, St. John Properties, Inc. is one of the nation’s largest and most successful privately held commercial real estate firms. The company is distinguished by its commitment to customer service, achievements in green building, and top-rated workplace culture. Throughout St. John Properties’ 53-year history, the company has developed more than 24 million square feet of flex/R&D, office, retail, and warehouse space and has investments in over 3,000 residential units. The company proudly serves more than 2,600 clients in Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Utah, and Wisconsin. For more information about the company, visit www.sjpi.com.