Carrabba's, Bonefish Grill Close In Middletown

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — Bonefish Grill and Carrabba's, both located on Route 35 in Middletown, have closed. Their last day of business was Thursday.

The decision to close the chain restaurants was made at the corporate level, a spokeswoman for the corporate chain told Patch. Bloomin' Brands Inc. owns Bonefish Grill, Carrabba's, Outback Steakhouse and Fleming's and made the decision to close 43 underperforming restaurants nationwide this week, including the two Middletown locations.

The following New Jersey locations were also impacted:

Carrabba's in Egg Harbor Township
Carrabba's in Evesham
Carrabba's in Middletown
Outback Steakhouse in Lawrenceville

"Closing a restaurant is a difficult decision. It was based purely on business circumstances and has no reflection on employees or their service," said Elizabeth Watts, a spokeswoman for Bloomin' Brands. "We have provided severance for all employees and are working to place as many as possible in our other restaurants."

Some Middletown residents who oppose future development along Route 35 say these closures are only a sign of the times.

"I think this is clear evidence that the Route 35 corridor is under severe pressure and cannot sustain the existing developments, much less 400,000 additional square feet," said Pauline Hynes, a Middletown resident who is currently trying to fight The Shoppes at Middletown/Village 35, a 340,000-square-foot shopping complex proposed for the corner of Route 35 and Kings Highway East.

The developer, John Orrico, president of the National Realty Development Corp., went before the Middletown planning board this week, where he promised the Shoppes would not be a "strip mall," according to the Asbury Park Press. While construction has not yet started, so far a pet store, a liquor store and Cinemex have signed on as tenants.

"It is clear that Route 35 is saturated," said Hynes. "Middletown does not need this development — we need something progressive, and I would urge the landowners and the Township Committee to work together and draw a fitting developer to this amazing site. We would love to see it remain as green space but we understand that is not the owner's wishes. That is their right ... but their legacy can be either tarnished by destroying the town, or it can be fondly looked up on if they bring something truly beneficial to this community."

Photo: Bonefish Grill - http://www.flickr.com/photos/12734746@N00/299218801/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/...