Applebeelzebub!

The Advance notes that several independent Island restaurants are on the market and this — combined with more and more chain restaurants opening — means that Staten Island’s culinary offerings are getting lamer:

The Staten Island Board of Realtors’ multiple listing service for businesses on the auction block shows that 33 food service companies — or 17 percent of Staten Island’s 194 restaurants — are actively seeking buyers.

Joseph Coco, a 29-year-old former chef in the executive world, is seeking $115,000 for his 2,400-square-foot steakhouse, bar and grill. Aesop’s, a 15-year fixture at 1233 Bay St., is going for $275,000; the listing describes it as “one of Staten Island’s finest restaurants.”

. . .

[T]he news only gets worse: Outback Steakhouse and Carrabba’s Italian Grill will be setting up shop in the Staten Island Mall this summer. Company officials say surveys show there’s a strong local market for their fare.