Oct. 18, 2024 By Shane O’Brien
Fast casual restaurant chain Westville is set to open a new location in Long Island City by the end of 2024.
Westville, which currently operates eight locations across Brooklyn and Manhattan, will open its first Queens location by the end of the year in “The Cove,” an 18-story building that opened in 2020 at 43-12 Hunter St. in Court Square.
The new LIC location will initially open for delivery only before launching full dine-in service by mid-January, Westville founder Jay Strauss said.
Founded in 2003, Westville offers a variety of brunch, lunch, and dinner choices and is renowned for its monthly specials and dishes made with fresh market vegetables, including yuca fries, asparagus with parmesan, Brussels sprouts with honey dijon and garlic mashed potatoes.
Westville additionally offers a wide selection of salads, sandwiches, burgers, and plates, each consisting of a protein served with a combination of market vegetables.
The restaurant’s brunch menu, available between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, features a selection of classic brunch specials, including avocado toast, waffles, steak and eggs and a California-inspired eggs benedict.
Strauss said each of the eight existing Westville locations is almost identical, and customers can expect a similar experience once the Long Island City location opens later in the year.
He added that the food at the Long Island City location will be exactly the same as the existing Westville locations and said he hopes the new restaurant becomes a new neighborhood favorite for locals in search of a regular spot.
“This will be their neighborhood spot, Strauss said. “This is a spot that you would return to. This is not a destination restaurant that you’re going to pop into once every two months.
“This is a neighborhood restaurant. There is such a variety of food that it allows people to eat here every day if they choose to. Just look at the menu; you’ll see that there is something for every meal that can be vastly different from your last meal.”
Strauss said each of the eight Westville locations emphasizes becoming involved in their local communities by working with schools or arts organizations or by donating food to local events. Westville’s Williamsburg location, for example, runs a regular puppet show for younger members of the local community.
Strauss plans to replicate that community involvement at the new LIC location.
“If we have 100 of these one day, I hope we can retain the sense that they are neighborhood restaurants, and we really try to replicate that feeling from one location to the next.”
Strauss said he “can’t wait” to open the new Long Island City location after Westville acquired the space around seven months ago. Once fully opened, the restaurant will be able to seat up to 60 customers, and Strauss plans to introduce outdoor dining once the weather heats up later in 2025.