Long Island City local biz update: The Golden Arches to hit Vernon Blvd.

Mickey Dee’s headed for LIC. Rock on.

New LIC Biz Updates

Yes folks, LIC lived in fear of Starbucks for a while there, but the economy threw out the baby with the bathwater and we got lulled into complacency with our Mom&Pop Vernon Blvd. Retail storefronts can sit empty and abandoned – doing absolutely nothing for the community, but don’t you dare put a fast food chain here please. Where are we, Martha’s Vineyard?

Well, cry yourself a river, and then get in a boat and sail on over to the Golden Arches, because McDonalds is secured for Vernon Blvd. It’s been a secret rumor for a while – yes we at liQcity keep more secrets about LIC than we reveal. The owners are aware there will be some serious backlash, so are asking for the exact location not to be revealed until Mickey Dee’s starts the transformation. Let’s just say it’s right in the fray. Fast food lovers, start unbuckling your pants now.

Other New LIC Biz Notables

• A new cell phone store is going into the ground floor retail space of LIC’s 48th Ave green condo, Solarium. 5-43 48th Ave, LIC

• The owners and operators of the Tennisport Restaurant are almost ready to pop on Madera, the Cuban Grill & Steakhouse they’re bringing to Vernon Blvd near the corner of 47th Road. A new website is up; signature lanterns, logos, and awnings have appeared on the exterior; and the spacious interior continues to be built out and polished. They’ve also filed for CB2 liquor license approval and are aiming to open soon. 4729 Vernon Blvd, LIC

• A burger joint called The Burger Garage has settled into the corner of Jackson Ave & 44th Drive. The facade has been transformed but the old-school interior is still being worked on. Brothers Jim and Adam Pileski (whose family opened NYC’s now famous Palm Restaurant) will be serving burgers, fries, shakes, homemade pie, and more. Their game-plan: “you will always be served made-to-order food using the freshest ingredients in a welcoming and friendly environment reminiscent of the ‘golden days of service’ – a time when people not only had a love affair with burgers [...] but with their automobiles, too.” 25-36 Jackson Ave, LIC

• A “casual Mexican bar and restaurant” called Skinny’s Cantina is coming to Queens West at 4705 Center Blvd this fall from the brothers who brought SHI to LIC. According to Crain’s, Skinny’s will serve traditional Mexican fare and beverages, including frozen margaritas. As of right now, it doesn’t seem like work has begun on the space as of yet.

• A new restaurant, wine bar, and market called the LIC Market is aiming for a May opening on 44th Drive, just west of 23rd Street. Their awning has been up for awhile now, and they’re working on finishing up a lovely, homey interior with great repurposed details. The restaurant will be offering breakfast, lunch, and brunch with a seasonal/local slant; wine bar after work/in the later hours; and a retail/market space with special food items. 21-52 44th Dr, LIC

• Natural Frontier Market is opening a new location right off the Pulaski Bridge in LIC to add to its stores in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Signs are up and the health food market is confirmed for the 4000 SF ground floor of the luxury rental building 12-01 Jackson Ave, @ 11th St. The windows were papered up recently, so perhaps that means work has finally begun.