It doesn’t have the same cultish cachet as Wawa, that Tavern of the Green of convenience stores every soul in Palm Coast seems to be anticipating as much as a sub’s second coming. It doesn’t even sell gas or diesel. But Texas Roadhouse broke ground on a new steakhouse in the Winn-Dixie shopping center off Palm Coast Parkway.
The restaurant, one of 25 to 30 opening across the nation this year, is going up at 1298 Palm Coast Parkway SW, joining a rejuvenating 9-acre shopping center that recently saw the openings of a Harbor Freight, the discount tool and equipment chain, and an Ollie’s, a Dollar General-type discount stores that boasts of bargains by the barrel.
Texas Roadhouse will be a dinner-only 369-seat restaurant in a 7,163 square foot building (open for lunch on weekends). The seating capacity is somewhat larger than the average Roadhouse restaurant, which generates–on average–$5.2 million in annual sales according to the company’s annual report (or $364,000 in state and local sales tax; of that, $52,000 would be split between the county and school board).
GoToby.com first reported the chain’s decision to open a store in Palm Coast in February, when the city approved a stormwater management permit and technical site plan. The restaurant is going up in the northeast corner of the 9.3-acre parcel, which also includes a Bealls and a BB&T Bank. The land is owned by Atlanta-based developers.
The restaurant’s building permit was issued on June 28 on the $700,000 project, with Knoxville, Tenn.-based Wasserman Construction as the contractor. The company has paid $92,000 in fees to the city so far, $86,200 of that consisting of transportation impact fees designed to offset the restaurant’s impact on roads. The entire shopping center generated $75,000 in local taxes last year, $31,500 of that in county taxes, $17,000 in city taxes, and $23,000 in school taxes, with other, smaller agencies accounting for the rest. Tax revenue is expected to increase once the restaurant opens.
Texas Roadhouse will be Palm Coast’s third steakhouse, joining Outback and Sakura, the Japanese steakhouse on Cypress Edge Drive. But Texas Roadhouse routinely ranks higher than Outback–and many other restaurants–in customer loyalty. New Market Force’s annual survey of favorite casual dining restaurants, released in January, found Texas Roadhouse ranked second out of 14 restaurants, just behind Maggiano’s (an Italian restaurant whose closest locations are in Jacksonville and Orlando). Outback was tied for 14th with Olive Garden.
Like Outback, assumed to be Australian but actually founded and based in Florida, Texas Roadhouse has little connection to Texas. It was founded in Indiana in the early 1990s, though it does have the most number of its restaurants in Texas (56, compared to 23 in Indiana). The company is based in Louisville, Ky.
According to a company fact sheet, the 460-location chain serves 5,000 meals a week at its typical restaurant, with steaks accounting for 44 percent of the menu.
The company opened 23 restaurants in 2018. The Palm Coast location will join nearby Texas Roadhouse restaurants in Port Orange, Orange City, Sanford and Orange Park.
The company calls its 60,000 employees “Roadies.” As of last December, approximately 79 percent were part-time employees, with the average employee working about 22 hours per week–not enough to qualify for benefits–and the median employee, a more accurate reflection of hours worked, working 16 hours a week and making $13,146, according to the company’s annual report. W. Kent Taylor, the company’s CEO–who opened the first Texas Roadhouse in Clarksville, Ind., in 1993–had a total compensation of $1.36 million last year.
The publicly traded company ended 2018 with 36 consecutive sales growth quarters and added two more so far in 2019, though its stock was trading at $55.50 today, down significantly from its $75 peak last September. For the six months ending June 25, the company reported revenue of $1.38 billion, up 10 percent from the comparable period last year.
Richard says
Yahooo! Now we won’t have to drive to Port Orange to get the best steaks in the area. I love their Rib Eye dressed out with onions and mushrooms. Yummy! And my wife likes the T-Bone.
mark101 says
Awesome
Steve says
BEEF Its whats for Dinner
Dave says
Wow, leave it to palm coast to get duped into having an outdated business model move into the area. In an era of educated people, the mass majority
have stopped eating meat products regularly to obtain a healthy life style.
Concerned Citizen says
@ Richard
I’m with you there buddy.
I used to like Outback but then they became the fast food of steaks. I frequent Martins when I’m beachside but live 5 minutes from Texas Roadhouse location. I have a bad feeling they will see a good bit of one of my paychecks each month. LOL
Low Pay says
Goodie. More low paying jobs. Just what we need. Not.
palmcoaster says
I find that Texas Road House doesn’t have the personal touch that greet us on arrival at Outback. We just enjoy dinning at their bar specially when Maximo mix the drinks. Their steaks still very good.
Name (required) says
Great location! I’ll bet everyone that shops at Winn-Dixie, Ollie’s discount store or Harbor Freight discount tools, is a connoisseur of a priceworthy steak dinner experience . Lol. This town, man.. so convoluted. So weird.
Flatsflyer says
Someone needs to go to jail. The entire plaza generates $72 k currently in sales taxes, the new restruant will generate $52 k. There are over 25 business / stores in the plaza and non are tax exempt, not for profit.
carol says
Hey Low Pay, and are you bring any high paying jobs????
Jennifer J says
Negative much?
capt says
Roadhouse, can’t wait, I’ve always had a nice meal at Texas Roadhouse, friendly people. Outback turned cheap, along with rude service and poor quality at least in Palmy Coasty.
concerned citizen says
Well Texas Roadhouse will be a much better step up over the Popeye’s that is coming at Kings point.
Agkistrodon says
I grill the best steaks, thank you very much.
Hmmm says
Hey! Leave Popeyes out of this. Oh, and Outback is doomed for sure. I give it a year after Texas opens.
gmath55 says
@ Dave – Only 2% of Americans do not eat any animal products. (This number has not changed appreciably for 20 years). Further, the fact that five out of six vegetarians go back to eating meat suggests that an all-veggie diet is very hard for most people to maintain over the long haul.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/animals-and-us/201412/84-vegetarians-and-vegans-return-meat-why
4% Vegetarian (Including Vegans) (Never eats meat, fish, seafood, or poultry)
2% Vegan (Never eats meat, fish, poultry, dairy, or eggs)
https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/Polls/2019_adults_veg.htm
Dave you should research before making another invalid comment here.
Agkistrodon says
There goes Dave, Speaking for the “majority” again. Thanks Dave, But I disagree with you, Again. Just saying “the Majority” does not make it so, no matter how much You believe it.
Bill says
@
Flatsflyer says:
August 8, 2019 at 4:50 am
Someone needs to go to jail. The entire plaza generates $72 k currently in sales taxes, the new restruant will generate $52 k. There are over 25 business / stores in the plaza and non are tax exempt, not for profit.
OR someone needs to gain basic reading comprehension ?? YOU are using TWO different sets of taxes the 72K is in land taxes on the WHOLE plaza the 52K on the restaurant is expected SALES taxes.
Ken says
I. Make the best steaks after working at Peter Lugars!!!
tulip says
The parking there will be very very tight and some people will have to park way over by Ollies or Bealls . They say it seats 369 people? That’s about 185 customer cars, plus employees cars. Traffic into the parking lot will be a bottle neck too probably.
Too bad Red Lobster wouldn’t come back.
Willy Boy says
Is that the place with P-Nut shells all over the floor? Reminds me of Ray Wylie Hubbard’s “Screw You. We’re from Texas.
deb says
I see the old people are out with all the negatives, those who still want to live in a bubble. Well get over yourself. If you want to improve the quality of jobs in this town, get your sorry self elected and do something. This isi not Orlando, or Daytona its Palmy Coast. Get over it.
Jeremiah Harrison says
I’m very excited for Texas Roadhouse to come to Palm Coast. Texas Roadhouse is my favorite restaurant. Very excited that it will be less than five minutes from home.
Nancy says
Dave, your comment about educated folks not eating meat regularly is quite a generalization. Meat is the foundation of the proper human diet; refer to Dr. Ken D. Berry’s recommendations on the best way to nourish the human body. Texas Roadhouse will likely enjoy a robust business as more and more realize a plant based diet isn’t optimal for most humans.
TheTruth says
This gives Outback competition, last time I ate at Outback a few months ago, I ordered prime rib, there was more fat on the piece then actual meat, Their food is never consistent. I hope Texas Roadhouse can put out better meals.
Once in awhile, it would be nice to see at least one gourmet restaurant moving to the area. Maybe, someday Palm Coast will get lucky enough to get one, Fast food restaurants are frequented by everyone.
Rick G says
If Flagler is serious about bringing high quality restaurants they should try to entice Ruth’ Chris or Shula’s. Then you would be talking good steaks.
hawkeye says
Texas roadhouse is way better than outhouse ,er, outback, never a problem at texas roadhouse ,nice and clean ,great food,…outback ,on the other hand ,is the filthiest place I have ever attempted to eat in,at least the palm coast outhouse is ,nothing ruins the appetite like sauce on the menu and food chunks on the silverware,and complaining to the manager is a joke,she didnt give a shit. So, that being said ,come on texas roadhouse ,we’re waiting.
mark101 says
@concerned citizen, what a Popeye’s next to RaceTrac 100/Old Kings
Jimmy says
Outback bar is great ! The two best bartenders in the county, Mossimo and Michael ! Bar is always busy when they are working ! Keep up the good job!
DonH says
I can’t wait for Texas Roadhouse to open, tired of driving to Port Orange. Outback in here stinks, carpet’s smell, silverware dirty.
I would rather step on peanut shells then smell a stinky carpet while i have dinner.
It’s great that a new business is opening up and giving the local people work here instead of driving to Daytona or Jacksonville.
Jessica says
What do you mean, low paying. This company pays higher than average restaurants, they are busy, which means high tips and it is a growing chain which means people can find careers in this company.
Alex says
We don’t have the desired median-income for those types of restaurants. There’s a reason you only see them in either major metropolitan cities or more affluent towns. Majority of people aren’t spending $100 on a typical meal out, they don’t want to invest putting a restaurant here for the majority of people to only eat there once every few months for a “special occasion”.
Deb says
The menu includes fish and chicken also. Excellent varieties of salads and vegetables too.
Deb says
Jessica you are so right! Jobs are jobs afterall. We have plenty of high school kids and seniors that need part time work. The food is great and the atmosphere is fun and entertaining!