Vacant for over a year, the restaurant that earned its fame as the legendary Caruso's, a staple in Levittown for nearly 50 years, will now be filled by the Ground Round, a chain restaurant.

Signs went up last month announcing that the Ground Round would be opening soon, replacing the signs that for over a year announced that the building, located at 2716 Hempstead Turnpike, was for rent. The most recent occupant of the glass-fronted building was Café Sterling, an American style restaurant that lasted only a few months before closing its doors. Prior to Café Sterling the restaurant was known as Landmark, which lasted only a year and prior to that, Steve's Steakhouse, which was only around for a little longer than that. As of yet nothing has been able to compare to Caruso's, the Italian restaurant that drew patrons from all over the county.

One of the most famous residents from the Levittown area, Billy Joel, though he won't say what Italian restaurant he is referring to in his song Scenes from an Italian Restaurant, did reminisce about Caruso's in an interview where he was asked about the song.

The Ground Round is quite different from the Italian restaurant known for its fine foods and murals on the walls but many local residents feel that it may be more successful than its most recent predecessors. The Ground Round which offers everything from hamburgers to fajitas, wraps, soups, and salads, is known as a family restaurant, which may be the key to its success in Levittown. Currently, the only other Ground Round in Nassau County is located in Roslyn.

American Hospitality Concepts, the parent company for Ground Round, did not respond to phone calls requesting the opening date for the Levittown restaurant.