Calallen’s dining scene is getting a major chain upgrade as two Darden Restaurants brands, Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse, lock in spots at Nemec Towne Center on Corpus Christi’s northwest side. The sit-down pair will land in phase two of the project alongside an Academy Sports + Outdoors pad, with the restaurants alone representing more than $6.24 million in planned investment. Developers have construction kicking off this summer, with LongHorn targeted to break ground in late May and Olive Garden set to follow in June. Current timelines have openings penciled in sometime between late 2026 and early 2027.
What’s Planned at Nemec Towne Center
According to TDLR, both restaurants are part of Nemec Towne Center Phase 2 at 3601 IH-69 Service Road. Plans call for an Olive Garden of roughly 7,800 square feet and a LongHorn Steakhouse of about 5,800 square feet. Reporting by MySA notes that construction on the steakhouse is expected to begin in late May, with work on Olive Garden slated for June. Completion windows on file list December 2026 for LongHorn and February 2027 for Olive Garden, although state filings routinely shift as leases, permits and construction schedules get finalized.
Approvals Cleared for Retail Pads
City planning records show the Nemec Towne Center tract was rezoned from farm-rural to a general commercial district to support new retail and restaurant development. A preliminary plat approved in October carves the property into multiple commercial lots. City of Corpus Christi documents list 2AVH Calallen LP as the owner of the Nemec Towne Center Phase 2 final plat at the 3601 IH-69 address, signaling that key approvals for pad construction are in place. Those same records put the center just south of a Walmart Supercenter and directly north of a Hobby Lobby, positioning the new restaurants at a particularly busy stretch of the corridor.
Local Leaders Welcome New Dining Options
City Councilman Everett Roy has called the project "a great win for the Northwest," saying it will bring national dining and retail brands into a part of town that has seen relatively little commercial growth for decades. That comment was reported by KRIS 6 News, which notes the site was annexed by Corpus Christi in 1995 and has only recently been platted for commercial use. Neighbors can expect to see infrastructure work rolled out first, followed by individual tenant buildouts as the project advances.
Timeline, Costs and What to Expect Next
TDLR project records also show Academy Sports & Outdoors registered as a ground-up, pad-ready project at the same address with an estimated cost of about $7 million, confirming that the broader retail buildout is already in motion. With infrastructure and utilities typically prioritized, developers are expected to complete pads and parking areas before tenant interiors start to rise, which means drivers along IH-69 could encounter construction crews and traffic disruptions through 2026. As with any early-stage filing, the start and completion dates listed in public documents remain subject to change as leasing and scheduling are locked in.
Once open, Olive Garden and LongHorn will give Calallen sit-down dining choices it has not had before, while reinforcing the sense of retail momentum building across the Coastal Bend. For now, state TDLR filings and city planning records offer the clearest public trail of breadcrumbs for residents and local businesses watching the project move from paperwork to reality.
