LongHorn Steakhouse is opening its first California location and bringing some pioneering spirit with it.
“Who doesn’t want to be in California?” said Chris Barto, managing partner in charge of the new location.
LongHorn Steakhouse’s first California restaurant will open at 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 11, in Rancho Cucamonga.
It occupies a new, 5,795-square-foot building across Foothill Boulevard from Victoria Gardens. Its lot was previously occupied by Joe’s Crab Shack, which was bulldozed. That seafood chain is among several full-service chains that have shrinking footprints in the state.
LongHorn, on the other hand, wants to be here and is mobilizing for the launch.
The new building features LongHorn’s most recent design, Barto said.
It has stone walls decorated with cow skulls and plenty of western art, cowboy sculptures, and curios such as display cases filled with jeweled belt buckles. In honor of its location, there are historical photos of Rancho Cucamonga on the walls.
Booths dominate the dining, while a bar to the left of the entrance has a pickup area for takeout orders. There are eight beers on tap and bowls of peanuts awaiting customers.
LongHorn has more than 520 locations, according to representatives.
“Most people from California really haven’t heard of us, but we are a definitely an iconic brand in the East, particularly in the Southeast,” said Barto.
LongHorn Steakhouse was founded in Atlanta in 1981 as a casual dining alternative for beef lovers. Its headquarters are now in Orlando, Florida.
With nine cuts of beef on the menu, steaks range from a 6-ounce sirloin starting around $14 to a 16-ounce prime Delmonico priced around $38.
Barto was quick to pick his favorite, the Outlaw Ribeye.
“It’s an 18-ounce bone-in ribeye cooked on our charbroiler, and it has marbling throughout that adds to the flavor. It’s just the most tender, juicy, flavorful steak we have.”
The dinner menu also features chicken, pork chops, baby back ribs, shrimp and salmon accompanied by such sides as baked and mashed potatoes, creamed spinach and cauliflower au gratin. Desserts include the signature Chocolate Stampede, a mousse cake made with six kinds of chocolate.
Although he’s proud of the food, Barto is hoping that his staff’s personalized service will win LongHorn customers in Southern California.
“We build a real family and loyal culture with our team members, which in turn helps us gain loyalty from our customers,” he said.
LongHorn’s management team was out in force when the staff arrived for training two weeks ago. The chain’s president, Todd Burrowes, visited, as did an executive chef with parent company Darden Restaurants, which also owns Olive Garden and Yard House.
And 20 team members who relocated from states such as Georgia, Louisiana, New York, Indiana, and Tennessee were there. They would soon be joined by 63 local hires.
Barto made the move himself after 21 years of running LongHorn restaurants in the Atlanta area.
“I’ve got a real passion for our business and a passion for our brand,” he said.
Even though the Rancho Cucamonga restaurant hasn’t opened yet, he thinks there’s a buzz in the community about it.
The chain hasn’t announced where it wants to grow after Rancho Cucamonga, but Barto said it is committed to the state. So is he.
“The adjustment has honestly been pretty easy for me. First of all, I love the area. How can you not enjoy the view? I’ve got the mountains right here outside the window.”
LongHorn Steakhouse
Where: 12327 Foothill Blvd., Rancho Cucamonga
Opening: 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 11
Regular hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Information: 909-646-7701, longhornsteakhouse.com
Clarification: This story has been updated to adjust the number of restaurants in the LongHorn Steakhouse chain.
