Retail Roundup: LongHorn Steakhouse and Floor & Decor coming to Long Island
Retailer Floor & Decor and restaurant LongHorn Steakhouse will open at 1024 Broadhollow Rd. in Farmingdale. Credit: Jessica Rotkiewicz
A retail and restaurant development taking shape in Farmingdale is going to bring some firsts to Long Island by early fall.
A LongHorn Steakhouse and Floor & Decor, a flooring store, will be the first two tenants in the $25 million project being built on the 1000 block of Broadhollow Road, also known as Route 110, said Jonathan Cohen, a principal at Blumenfeld Development Group, the Syosset-based real estate development firm behind the project.
The restaurant and flooring store will be charting new territory, since the closest LongHorn Steakhouse is in Queens and Floor & Decor does not have any stores in New York State.
I think the restaurant’s entry into the Long Island market might bode well for it if it can win over local steak enthusiasts. Among full-service chain eateries, LongHorn has the most loyal customers, according to the 2018 Consumers’ Choice Awards presented by Technomic Inc., a Chicago-based restaurant industry research firm.
But many Long Islanders tend to be partial to independent restaurants, so we’ll see what happens.
Blumenfeld’s entire development, which when finished will be four buildings totaling about 100,000 square feet on an 11-acre site, is taking the place of the former Skydrive Golf Center, which was demolished last summer.
“The area was underdeveloped for many years," Cohen said, and over the past 10 years, "the whole area has gotten redeveloped ... it’s a thriving area.”
The Floor & Decor in Farmingdale, at 79,615 square feet, will be the 100th store for the Atlanta-based retailer, Cohen said. The publicly traded company was founded in 2000 and sells hard-surface flooring, such as tile, wood and stone, as well as related tools and accessories.
Floor & Decor did not respond to calls or emails requesting comment.
The LongHorn Steakhouse will occupy 5,706 square feet.
The Orlando, Florida-based chain has more than 500 restaurants in 41 states and is owned by Darden Restaurants Inc., a publicly traded company whose other eateries include Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze and Seasons 52.
“We’ve identified Farmingdale as a great place with long-term growth potential, and look forward to serving the community,” LongHorn spokeswoman Brittany Baron said.
Blumenfeld is developing the retail and restaurant project on Broadhollow Road under a 99-year master lease it signed with the property owner that began in 2017, and the new tenants will sublease, Cohen said.
The remaining space in the development, about 15,000 square feet in two buildings, will be filled by two to five stores and/or restaurants, he said.
“We are hoping to finalize some leases within the next 30 to 45 days, at which point we’ll be able to announce some additional tenants,” he said.
The floor plans and elevations for the last two buildings are subject to town planning board approval, Babylon planner Matt Esposito said.
Retail Roundup is a column about major retail news on Long Island — store openings, closings, expansions, acquisitions, etc. — that is published online and in the Monday paper. To read more of these columns, click here. If you have news to share, please send an email to Newsday reporter Tory N. Parrish at tory.parrish@newsday.com.
