The uber-popular French Workshop is planting a flag in Suffolk County.
And the company’s first official franchisee, Upstream Hospitality Group, has just revealed the location:
The French Workshop is coming to Station Yards in Ronkonkoma.
Specifically, the standalone building that runs parallel to Hawkins Avenue. The main entrance will front what’s called the Village Green at Station Yards.
It’s also just a short stroll from the LIRR station.
Upstream signed the franchise agreement in March. The company already operates nine Tap Room locations across Long Island, the rapidly expanding Bango concept, and several popular seasonal operations along the South Shore beaches.
James Bonanno, an Upstream co-founder, said the group hopes to open by the end of this year.
For the uninitiated, The French Workshop, which was founded in 2015 in Bayside, Queens, is known for its wide selection of pastries, cakes, pies, croissants and sandwiches, as well as coffee and espresso drinks.
There are existing Long Island locations in Wantagh, Plainview and Garden City — all Nassau.
Lunch and dessert offerings at The French Workshop location in Wantagh. (Mike White/GLI file photos)
“Bringing the very first French Workshop in Suffolk County to Station Yards is incredibly exciting,” said Jimmy Coughlan, principal at TRITEC, Station Yards’ developers. “Their brand, quality and attention to detail align perfectly with the experience we are creating here. We are also thrilled to work with professional operators like James Bonanno and the entire Upstream Hospitality Group, who understand how to activate a space and build lasting connections with the community.”
The French Workshop is looking to expand elsewhere in the U.S. as well, off Long Island.
“The decision to franchise was the result of several years of planning, involving extensive and proactive preparation,” Graham Buckley, The French Workshop’s vice president of franchising, stated back in March. “We prioritized establishing the necessary infrastructure and resources, both operational and technological, to support this major initiative and our franchise partners.”
Bonanno previously told GLI he was “blown away” by the The French Workshop’s brand, food and drink offerings — and the customer base he discovered at the Garden City location, where Upstream was opening a Tap Room last year.
“I was in there all the time, and just really enjoying it,” he said. “Every time I walked in it was was packed, and the customers were engaged and eating and drinking and it just seemed like everyone was always enjoying themselves.”
The more he sampled the food, he said, the more he liked it.
“And the coffee’s great,” he added. “That’s what brought me in, in the first place.”
Bonnano was the first to reach out to The French Workshop to franchise.
Upstream also operates a Tap Room location at Station Yards.
Top: Jimmy Coughlan and James Bonanno at the soon-to-be French Workshop location at Station Yards.
