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It’s been well over a year since reports surfaced that Chick-fil-A was planning a restaurant at the vacated TGI Fridays site outside South Shore Mall in Bay Shore.
Since then, it’s been crickets.
The earth has begun to reclaim the former Fridays pad site, a closure notice from January 2024 is still taped to the front door, and no plans for a Chick-fil-A have appeared in Town of Islip planning documents, from what Greater Long Island could find.
But the chicken chain says the Bay Shore plan is still a go.
“While we are still early in the process, Chick-fil-A is happy to share that we are actively pursuing a new location in the Bay Shore, NY area” at the mall, Chick-fil-A, Inc. wrote in a statement to Greater Long Island this week.
The company said it is still working with local officials and did not provide a potential timeline for the restaurant.
Related: Chick-fil-A pulls the plug on long-planned West Babylon restaurant
“We are excited by the prospect of joining this neighborhood, where each locally owned and operated restaurant creates 80-120 jobs,” the statement reads.
Chick-fil-A also pointed to its model of locally owned and operated restaurants, saying its operators are empowered to support the communities they serve, with a particular focus on hunger, education and other local needs.
“We hope to have the opportunity to serve new guests delicious food in an environment of genuine hospitality.”
The confirmation comes after more than a year of little outward indication that the Bay Shore project was moving forward.
A representative for the Town of Islip has not responded to Greater Long Island’s requests for an update. A spokesperson for Namdar Realty Group, which handles leases at the mall property, offered a firm “no comment” when asked about the previously reported Chick-fil-A lease.
The TGI Fridays at South Shore Mall was one of three underperforming Long Island restaurants the chain closed just after New Year’s Day in 2024, along with locations in Islandia and Massapequa.
The company filed for bankruptcy in November 2024 and now operates just two locations on Long Island, in Central Islip and Valley Stream.
In Bay Shore, a sheet of paper announcing the closure remains taped to the door, dated Jan. 2, 2024.
“We are extremely grateful to our loyal guests and our team members at our Bayshore [sic] restaurant,” it reads. “We can’t wait to welcome you at our nearby locations” in Central Islip and Farmingville.
The Farmingville location has since closed as well, shutting down in January 2025 along with the Riverhead restaurant. The former Farmingville Fridays is now slated to become a Teachers Federal Credit Union branch.
Meanwhile, Chick-fil-A has continued expanding elsewhere on Suffolk’s South Shore.
In March, the chain opened a new restaurant about 13 miles east of the Bay Shore site on Sunrise Highway in Bohemia.
— with Nick Esposito
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