The owner of a Colorado burrito chain has found himself in a tricky situation three weeks before opening his newest location in Fort Collins.

Pete Turner, who owns Illegal Pete's, a Colorado chain he started in 1995, says the name is a literary reference to the name of a bar in a novel he once read in college, but concerned residents have asked him to consider changing the name, saying that it's offensive to immigrants, the Coloradoan reports.

Twenty-five-year-old Lucy Gonzales is one of those residents. "Since I know the context and have been labeled with the word (illegal), it makes a huge difference to me," she told the newspaper. Fort Collins immigration attorney Kim Medina added, ""Social context is hugely important ... we'll never get to big issues, such as immigration reform, until we can solve these smaller issues of language." Other residents also likened it to using racial slurs against African-Americans.

At a town hall-style meeting on Wednesday, Turner stressed that he maintains an "inclusive" business, saying, "This is all very near and dear to me ... I've paid for citizenship for some of my employees."

And not everyone thinks the name is a problem: Milton Guevara, a general manager at one of the other locations, told the Coloradoan that he is, "Hispanic, and I'm very proud to be ... people come to us because they love our food ... The name doesn't mean anything."

UPDATE: In a statement on the company's blog, Illegal Pete's owner Pete Turner has said that he will not change the name of the burrito chain, writing that though he appreciate the concerns raised by the community, he stands by the name and what it means to him.

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