The Outback Steakhouse in the Merrick Mall was bustling with customers during the Merrick Fall Festival last weekend, with restaurant employees passing out candy and peddling apparel. Just a day later, the popular restaurant was unexpectedly closed for good.
Known for its Bloomin’ Onions and sizzling steaks, the restaurant had served the Merrick community for nearly 30 years. By Oct. 27, the exterior signage had been removed, chairs were scattered inside, and yellow tape surrounded several booths where the cushions now sat vertically.
A printed notice on the front door now reads, “This location is now closed,” directing customers to visit the company’s website for the “closest open locations.” Underneath that sign was another listing nearby restaurants by driving distance — including Westbury (16 minutes), Island Park (20), and Lindenhurst (22).
When the Herald visited on Oct. 29, the mechanical lift used to remove the exterior letters was still parked outside, and employees were seen entering the establishment to clean up. The store manager, who declined to give his name, also arrived, but shed little insight as to why the restaurant closed abruptly.
“It’s not that,” he said when asked if the corporation had suddenly sprung the closing on him. “It’s multiple reasons. You know, in the climate we are in right now … I don’t have an answer for that.”
The manager said employees were given the option to transfer to other Outback locations instead of being terminated.
“They’re all being taken care of,” he said. “Most of them are going to other Outbacks. That’s all I can tell you.”
He added that he had been with the company for two decades and was most concerned for his staff.
“I’ve been with Outback for 20 years,” he said. “It’s not even about the company. It’s about how close you get with your employees. We are doing them right. As a person, we’re doing the right thing by them. We are trying to relocate [them] to whatever is closest to them.”
After the announcement was posted on the Merrick Community Civic Association’s Facebook page, residents reacted with shock and disappointment.
“We loved coming here as a family, ugh,” wrote user Jenna Marie Jan. “Very sad to lose them.”
Others expressed concern about what the closure might mean for the neighborhood.
“What is happening in Merrick??” Linda Coffey posted. “Closed businesses … vacant buildings??? What’s next??? I’ve been around here 50+ years and it’s like we are going backwards.”
