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Blaming the delay on cold weather, the Qdoba Mexican Grill at 40th and Locust streets will not open until next month.

"We are anticipating an opening in mid-March," Qdoba franchise owner Will Charbonnet Jr. said. "Right now, construction is ahead of schedule."

Originally slated to open last October, the restaurant's debut was later pushed back to Feb. 1 before the most recent extended delays.

According to Charbonnet, it is this winter's unseasonably cold temperatures that have led to delays in the connection of natural gas lines to the restaurant, pushing back the new eatery's opening.

"It's hinging on getting gas for our location. Being in the heart of winter, the Philadelphia Gas Works is behind schedule," Charbonnet said.

And despite the interior's unfinished appearance, Charbonnet said that construction at the Qdoba site is nearing completion and that once the gas lines are connected, the restaurant will be ready to open its doors.

"The restaurant should be ready in two weeks. At that point we need to bring in our staff and train them," Charbonnet said. "We've hired our management staff, we're ready."

University Real Estate and Facilities spokesman Tony Sorrentino confirmed a March opening, adding that in addition to the natural gas connections, interior design elements take time to install.

Sorrentino also remained optimistic about Qdoba's upcoming entrance into the campus dining scene, despite the delays.

"I think that opening in March is terrific -- people start going outside more," Sorrentino said. "You're going to have a whole critical mass of openings coming, and it will elevate the visibility of the area."

Indeed, the 40th Street retail corridor will see a number of openings in the upcoming months.

In addition to Qdoba, the Greek Lady signed a lease Sunday for the former Simsum site, according to Sorrentino. Also, Bucks County Coffee is expanding operations in the School of Dental Medicine, with an opening planned for Feb. 19.

Add in the eventual opening of Marathon Grill -- along with the existing businesses -- and "you've got 40,000 households in University City that are making 40th Street their main street," Sorrentino said.

Qdoba, which was founded in Colorado in 1995, is owned by San Diego-based Jack in the Box, Inc., and operates over 100 stores in 22 states.

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