The last Houlihan’s on Long Island is about to meet the wrecking ball. In its place, chicken chain Raising Cane’s plans to open a new restaurant, according to a report in LIBN.
According to plans filed with the Town of Babylon, Raising Cane’s intends to demolish the existing Houlihan’s building at 901 Broadhollow Road in the Republic Plaza shopping center (Update: Houlihan’s is at 923 Broadhollow Road and was previously listed on commercial real estate listing site Loopnet) and construct a new restaurant. The proposed location will include two drive-thru lanes, more than 70 indoor seats, and outdoor seating.
While Raising Cane’s has scrapped earlier plans to open in Bay Shore and Hauppauge, it is moving ahead other locations.
The Farmingdale project marks the end of an era for Houlihan’s on Long Island. Once a popular casual dining chain with more than 90 restaurants nationwide at its peak, Houlihan’s filed for bankruptcy in 2019. Only 35 Houlihan’s locations remain open nationwide.
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If approved, the new Raising Cane’s will continue the trend of replacing a once-familiar Long Island chain with one of the nation’s fastest-growing restaurant brands.
From Chicken Fingers to French Onion Soup: Crazy Facts About Houlihan’s on Long Island
Before Raising Cane’s started frying up a new chapter in Farmingdale, Houlihan’s had its own long run as one of Long Island’s most recognizable casual dining chains. The two restaurants might not share much in common, one built on chicken fingers and drive-thrus, the other on martinis and mahogany booths, but both managed to carve out a place in the Island’s dining memory.
Here are a few crazy facts about Houlihan’s on Long Island:
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Houlihan’s arrived on Long Island in the early 1980s, part of the national explosion of “casual dining” restaurants that promised something between fast food and fine dining. Think dark wood, mirrored walls, and just enough ferns to feel fancy.
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The Farmingdale location was the last one standing. At one time, Houlihan’s had outposts in Westbury, Lake Grove, and Farmingdale, what might be jokingly called the “Houlihan’s Triangle.” Chances are, half of Long Island celebrated a birthday, anniversary, or first date in one of them.
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The Westbury property sold for $4 million in 2021 to Beechwood Organization, which later transformed the space into Farm Italy. One era’s spinach dip became another’s truffle pasta.
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Houlihan’s once had 92 restaurants nationwide at its 2007 peak. But after the company filed for bankruptcy in 2019, it was sold to Landry’s Inc. in 2020. By the mid-2020s, only 35 Houlihan’s locations remained.
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For many Long Islanders, Houlihan’s was a rite of passage. It was where teenagers went on “fancy” dates, office parties stretched too late, and bartenders knew your drink order even if you only showed up twice a year.
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Its closing marks the end of an era. Houlihan’s helped define the casual dining scene long before anyone used the phrase “fast casual.” Its departure, and Raising Cane’s arrival, symbolizes how the Island’s tastes have shifted from ferns and French onion soup to speed, convenience, and comfort food.
Photo: Raising Cane’s Facebook page.
