Texas Roadhouse set to open next week

With Texas Roadhouse coming to the Town of Poughkeepsie, Marisa Hayes couldn't help but feel excited.

"We love Texas Roadhouse," Hayes said. "Very excited to see if this one does as well as the Kingston one. That one always seems crowded with a wait when we go there."

And fans of the restaurant have a reason to be happy, as the wait is nearly over. Texas Roadhouse announced its soft launch for next week.

Texas Roadhouse will open to the public on Oct. 31 at 2323 South Road on Route 9, according to Eric Blanchard, market partner for Texas Roadhouse in the Hudson Valley and Connecticut.

"We've had a ton of buzz," Blanchard said. "People have been coming by on a daily basis checking to see if we had opened."

Opening a Poughkeepsie restaurant was a strategic move for Texas Roadhouse, Blanchard said, citing the success of the Middletown and Kingston restaurants.

Texas Roadhouse features a steakhouse-style menu with a Southern flair, including a variety of steaks, ribs and several combination meals. Similar chain restaurants include Outback Steakhouse.

In preparation for the opening, Texas Roadhouse will host a dress rehearsal dinner Saturday and Sunday night for the staff's family and friends. The restaurant hired 175 employees, including 100 servers, greeters and bartenders and 75 kitchen and other workers, according to Blanchard.

While the food will be free, tips and money earned from cocktails will be donated to Grace Smith House for Saturday's dinner and Children's Home of Poughkeepsie for Sunday's event.

Texas Roadhouse is one of several chain restaurant opening in the Town of Poughkeepsie. Earlier this year, Hardee's opened on Route 9, and Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Golden Corral and Tilted Kilt are all scheduled to open in 2016.

Chipotle Mexican Grill is also scheduled to open in 2017 in the Town of Fishkill.

Geoffrey Wilson: gwilson@poughkeepsiejournal.com, 845-437-4882, Twitter: Geoff_LW