Bonefish Grill opening delayed

The long-awaited opening of Bonefish Grill has been delayed until May 5 in order to give the restaurant more time to finish construction and to apply for a last-minute zoning variance.

Bonefish Grill, at 340 Sunrise Highway, was originally scheduled to hold its grand opening on April 21, but delayed it two weeks to give construction crews time to finish their work. The restaurant is also applying to the Rockville Centre Board of Zoning Appeals for a parking variance. Under the original plans, the property’s landlord was supposed to join the property to the municipal lot behind the building, which would have eliminated the need for additional parking. However, that did not happen, and now there are no spots for the building where there should be 54, according to the BZA.

“When you’re opening a restaurant, there are many moving parts, which can unfortunately cause delays in the grand opening,” said Crafton Bryant, marketing manager for the Bonefish Grill chain. “With any opening, we face the possibility of delays.”

Neither the company nor the village offered any details about what caused the parking change. A BZA hearing to discuss approval of the restaurant’s extension of time and parking variance requests was scheduled for Wednesday night, after the Herald went to press.

The restaurant’s exterior and much of the interior have been completed, and it is nearly fully staffed. Other than the requested parking variance, it is ready to open. Bryant said that the company wants to make sure the restaurant has the “perfect ambiance for Rockville Centre” when it opens.

The eatery has been supported by Mayor Francis X. Murray, who first announced that it would be built in his State of the Village address in 2013. It replaced the eyesore on Sunrise Highway that was the old RKO movie theater, which had been closed for years.

The restaurant will be open for dinner on weekdays and lunch and dinner on weekends. Its return to the zoning board has sparked concern among some residents that it may also try to change its agreement with the BZA and open for lunch during the week, which could impact daytime parking in that area of Sunrise Highway.

“The deal we had with them is dinner only, and I don’t know if they’re going to try and change that,” Murray said. “If they do, that doesn’t sit well with me.”

If Bonefish were to attempt to change its hours, the decision on whether to approve the request would be the BZA’s. But Bryant denied that it was going to try to open for lunch.

“We’ll be open for lunch on Saturday and Sunday, but not for weekday lunch,” he said. “We’re coming to town and we’re excited to open our doors.”