A new LongHorn Steakhouse is headed to an 11.4-acre parcel at the intersection of Blanding Boulevard and Henley Road in Middleburg, FL, one of five confirmed tenants for a retail development now under construction there. The Ferber Company, a privately held real estate firm based in Ponte Vedra Beach, closed on the parcel on August 7, with the LongHorn location targeted to open by late 2027.
LongHorn Steakhouse is owned and operated by Darden Restaurants, the Orlando-based parent company that also runs Olive Garden, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Yard House, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, The Capital Grille, and several other national chains. Darden first acquired LongHorn in 2007 and, as of May 2026, owned and operated the vast majority of its locations directly through subsidiaries, with only a small number run by independent franchisees under separate development agreements. That corporate structure means the new Middleburg location is expected to be company-operated rather than independently owned.
Tom Mundy, Ferber’s executive vice president, pointed to timing as the real driver behind the project. With a segment of the First Coast Expressway finishing construction at the end of 2025, this stretch of Blanding Boulevard became one of the last large parcels still available for major retail inside the corridor, according to the Jacksonville Business Journal. Mundy said demand has been especially strong from full service, dine in restaurants looking to follow Clay County’s growing population, a trend LongHorn fits into directly.
