The James opens in Garden City
The James, a modern American brasserie from the Long Island hospitality group behind Arlo Kitchen & Bar in Northport and The James in Babylon Village, has opened at 910 Franklin Ave. in Garden City.
The restaurant is the second location of the brasserie concept and the newest venture from partners Steve Squitiro and Andrew Affa, who operate as SAF Hospitality Group. Their portfolio also includes The Piermont, a waterfront wedding venue they launched in Babylon in 2018, and SHG at North Shore, a catering and events operation.
The Garden City location is situated at the corner of Franklin Avenue and Ninth Street, most recently home to Primehouse Steak & Sushi. Primehouse opened in July 2019 under chef-owner Art Gustafson, who also owns Chadwick’s and Salsa Mexicana in Rockville Centre. Squitiro and Affa took over operations of the restaurant in late 2025 and kept it running with its chef and staff in place through the holiday season before closing in January to begin a full renovation of the space.
The Garden City dining room seats roughly 130 guests, a smaller footprint than the group’s other restaurants, which the partners have described as substantially larger, with room for more than 220. The space includes a semi-open kitchen, a bar and an outdoor patio, according to the restaurant.
The menu mirrors the Babylon location, spanning appetizers, salads, a raw bar, fresh pastas, wild-caught seafood and a prime dry-aged steak program. Dining at both The James and Arlo is anchored by that steak program, though the partners have said they do not consider the restaurants steakhouses.
The James lists dinner service Monday and Wednesday through Sunday, with the bar opening earlier in the afternoon; the restaurant is closed Tuesdays. Lunch service is expected to begin in September, and the restaurant is booking private catered events on weekend afternoons.
The Garden City Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the restaurant on June 17, attended by chamber members, village trustees and local elected officials. The chamber is marking its centennial year in 2026.
The James in Babylon opened in May 2024 inside the historic Babylon Carriage House at 21 Fire Island Ave. Arlo Kitchen & Bar, the group’s Northport restaurant, sits on a wooded two-acre hilltop off Fort Salonga Road and expanded its parking from 60 spaces to roughly 200 after opening.
