I can’t even begin to tell you how very, very excited I was when I found out that my beloved Olive Garden is opening a new resturant in Chester County. An Olive Garden in Chester County has been nothing but an “urban legend’ for as long as I can remember. My sister, her boyfriend and I even started a Facebook Group – Why Doesn’t Chester County Have an Olive Garden?
I have driven by the construction site a dozen times and hoped and prayed that an Olive Garden was going in… and the Daily Local News confirmed it today. Woo-hoo!
By GRETCHEN METZ, Daily Local News Staff Writer
EAST CALN — Quarry Crossings is under way, soon to be home to a new Olive Garden restaurant, Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar and an LA Fitness gym, with more space available for a bank and a coffee shop.
The 14-acre property on Quarry Road at Lancaster Avenue is owned and is being developed by Downingtown Quarry Associates LP, a division of Penguin Real Estate Investors LP of Sadsbury.
The price tag for the Downingtown Quarry Associates project is $14 million, said James P. Lisa Jr., executive vice president at Penguin.
“It’s a great site, a great location, great township,” Lisa said. “We’re bullish (on the project) and we like the shopping centers nearby.”
Quarry Crossings’ neighbors are Brandywine Square, anchored by Wegmans, BJ’s Wholesale, Dick’s Sporting Goods and PetSmart, and Ashbridge Square, anchored by Home Depot and Best Buy.
“We’re going to work all winter,” Lisa said. “We hope to have the restaurants and LA Fitness open next spring.”
This will be the first Olive Garden in Chester County. It is set to open May 20, officials at Olive Garden said.
Lisa said he tried to interest Red Lobster in the site but the seafood restaurant chain said it was re-doing its brand and was not building any new restaurants at that time.
Both Olive Garden and Red Lobster are owned by Darden Restaurants Inc., a publicly traded restaurant company headquartered in Orlando, Fla.
With Buffalo Wild Wings, East Caln is fast becoming the wings headquarters for the county.
Last week, P.J. Whelihan’s announced it would open a restaurant in March at the former Primavera in Ashbridge Square.
Whelihan’s, which features wings on its menu, makes about 9,000 chicken wings for the annual Wing Bowl, held in Philadelphia the Friday before the Super Bowl.
The closest Buffalo Wild Wings to Chester County currently are restaurants in Wilmington, Newark and Bear, Del.
Telephone messages seeking comment at Buffalo Wild Wings’ Minneapolis headquarters were not returned.
Quarry Crossings will pay for some road improvements on Lancaster Avenue, or Business Route 30.
Denny Howell, project manager, said there will be a new right-turn lane on eastbound Lancaster Avenue at Quarry Road, a new right-turn lane on westbound Lancaster Avenue at Bell Tavern Road and two through-lanes on Lancaster Avenue westbound at Quarry Road.
Downingtown Quarry Associates purchased the raw land in December 2007 from the Hanson Aggregates, the company that owns the neighboring quarry, Lisa said.
The property is located at the Downingtown interchange of the Route 30 Bypass and Business Route 30. The exit ramp off of the Route 30 Bypass borders three sides of the property. The fourth side of the site has frontage on Quarry Road.
Founded 30 years ago, Penguin Real Estate’s assets include land development, commercial and industrial buildings, retail space and residential development in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland.
In addition to Quarry Crossings, other Penguin projects are Sandy Harbor, a 19-acre residential waterfront property in Ocean View, Del.; The Reservoir Offices at Wright’s Lane, a 4.2-acre business commercial parcel at the corner of Airport Road and Wright’s Lane in West Goshen; and the Airport Road project, a 95-acre site in West Caln where the company plans to build 332 townhouses.
To contact staff writer Gretchen Metz, send an e-mail to gmetz@dailylocalcom
The new Olive Garden is probably going to be super busy when it forst opens (and well, everyday after, because that is just Chester County) so hopefully the folks at Olive Garden will hook up with Cusine to Go, so we can all enjoy Olive Garden-y goodness delivered right to our front door!!!!
Philaburban Mom 