LongHorn Steakhouse opens Monday, Oct. 26, at 3237 W. Norvell Bryant Highway in Lecanto. Its wall sign will stay within the size the county code allows. LongHorn asked to go bigger, and county commissioners voted 3-1 to say no. That vote affects more than one restaurant. Since spring, the intersection of County Roads 486 and 491, a short drive from the Black Diamond Ranch turn onto CR 491, has filled up with groceries, fitness, beauty, burgers, burritos and a diner. None of them are allowed oversized signs, so the quickest way to use the crossroads is to know which corner and which address you need.
The County Kept the Signs Small
The request came from two of the biggest new tenants. The Citrus County Chronicle reported that the code allowed LongHorn 121 square feet of wall signage based on its building frontage, and LongHorn asked for 303. Sprouts Farmers Market was allowed 228 square feet and asked for 464. Both chains said they wanted to match the branding at their other stores, including the Sprouts in Ocala and the LongHorn in Brooksville.
County staff gave two reasons against it. The 2023 Planned Unit Development approval requires signs at this plaza to be consistent with the Target-anchored center next door, and a similar request at that neighboring development was denied in 2024. The county's Planning and Development Commission unanimously recommended denying both requests. The Chronicle's coverage of that hearing quoted board member Kurt Stone saying surrounding businesses had followed the existing limits: "I don't see how we have any choice but to deny this request." Commission chairman David Bramblett, who had visited the LongHorn building and called it "very attractive," made a point about how people find places now:
"Most people that are driving around these days are using Google maps and stuff like that so they're really well-directed into these locations."
The county board later denied LongHorn's request. The plaza's signs therefore match the Target center beside it, and the new businesses look much like the older ones from CR 486.
Two Corners and the Lot Next Door
The new storefronts belong to three projects: one on each western corner of the intersection and a third beside the northwest corner. Each one serves a different kind of trip.
| Location | Project | Open now | Still coming |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest, off CR 486 | Summit View at CORTA Commons, about 17 acres, beside the Shoppes at Black Diamond | Sprouts, Metro Diner, Planet Fitness, Ulta Beauty, Five Below, Bath & Body Works | LongHorn Steakhouse on Oct. 26 |
| Southwest, off CR 491 | Corta Commons | Chipotle, Five Guys, Hair Cuttery, PetSmart, Hobby Lobby | Other announced tenants |
| Next door to the northwest | A 22-acre site anchored by BJ's Wholesale Club | Under construction | BJ's this winter, plus Dutch Bros. Coffee |
According to the Chronicle's report on the Lecanto shopping boom, the Sprouts center sits next to Target and directly across from the Walmart Supercenter. CORTA Development started building it in September 2025. The developer also said it would connect the roads between Summit View and the Shoppes at Black Diamond.
Summit View, by Street Number
With signs kept at code size, the street numbers on W. Norvell Bryant Highway are the clearest guide to the northwest corner. These are the businesses whose own location pages or local news coverage confirm they're open or have a date:
- 3209: Sprouts Farmers Market opened its doors at 7 a.m. on May 29.
- 3221: Five Below
- 3233: Ulta Beauty
- 3237: LongHorn Steakhouse, opening Oct. 26
- 3257 County Road 486: Bath & Body Works, next to Sprouts
- 3317: Planet Fitness
- 3351: Metro Diner
The Chronicle reported that Chase Bank, Kay Jewelers and Heartland Dental also signed on with this center, so expect more storefronts to open along the same stretch.
LongHorn and Metro Diner Make It a Dinner Stop
When Metro Diner opened, the crossroads was mainly a daytime place. The restaurant's opening announcement on Aug. 17, 2026, listed hours of 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Its Lecanto location page now shows 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day. The building has 3,710 square feet, 134 seats inside and 24 on the patio. Managing partner Melissa Deskins has more than 20 years in restaurants and degrees in Culinary Arts and Baking & Pastry. The menu includes the Fried Chicken & Waffle and the Iron City Meatloaf, which was featured on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, according to the Chronicle's Comings & Goings column.
LongHorn opens Monday, Oct. 26. It's the first LongHorn in Citrus County, and it's known for hand-cut steaks in a Western-themed dining room. Once it opens, the northwest corner will have breakfast at one end of the plaza and a steakhouse dinner at the other, within a couple of storefronts of the grocery store.
The Southwest Corner Went First
Corta Commons, on the southwest corner, followed the same pattern a little earlier. Developer Cory Presnick told the Chronicle when he finalized its lineup that Chipotle, Five Guys and an AT&T store would take one outparcel. A second section, reached from CR 491 by the road between Mavis Tires and Panda Express, would share a parking lot with PetSmart and Hobby Lobby. At the time, Presnick called it the last Corta Commons development on that side of the intersection and said more could follow on the northwest corner by Target. Summit View turned out to be that next phase.
These are open today on the southwest corner, along N. Lecanto Highway:
- Chipotle at 1834
- Five Guys at 1838
- Hair Cuttery at 1864
PetSmart and Hobby Lobby have both opened there too. So the southwest corner handles quick lunches, haircuts, pet supplies and craft runs. The northwest corner handles groceries, the gym and sit-down meals.
BJ's Comes Next
The largest piece is still under construction. The Chronicle reported that BJ's Wholesale Club broke ground near the Shoppes at Black Diamond, off CR 486. A BJ's spokeswoman said the club was tentatively scheduled to open in winter 2026 and would employ 100 to 150 people. The Lecanto club will also have a gas station. BJ's Lecanto page still says "Opening this winter in Lecanto," with no specific date yet.
Dutch Bros. Coffee is confirmed for the same 22-acre site and will be one of the brand's first locations in Citrus County. Once the BJ's site opens, the crossroads will be complete: daily needs and dining to the northwest, quick stops to the southwest, and bulk shopping and fuel next door.
A Loop From the Ranch
Black Diamond Ranch, at 3125 W. Black Diamond Circle, is reached by way of County Road 491. That puts the whole crossroads within one easy loop. Here's one way to string it together:
- Start at Metro Diner at 3351 W. Norvell Bryant Highway for breakfast. It opens at 7 a.m. daily.
- Head to Planet Fitness at 3317, then shop for groceries at Sprouts at 3209.
- Cross to the southwest corner for an errand at PetSmart or Hobby Lobby, or lunch at Five Guys or Chipotle on N. Lecanto Highway.
- After Oct. 26, finish with dinner at LongHorn, 3237 W. Norvell Bryant Highway.
On the loop, type the street numbers into your phone instead of watching for signs. The county planning commission chair assumed most drivers would do that anyway.
Edward Johnston and the team at Sugarmill Woods keep up with what opens near our neighborhoods, from LongHorn's first service to the day BJ's sets its grand opening. If you'd like to know how far the CR 486 and CR 491 crossroads is from a home you're considering in Black Diamond, Pine Ridge or Citrus Hills, give our Homosassa office at 155 Douglas Street a call and we'll map it out with you.
