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The owner of the Yankee Doodle Dandy’s chicken tender spots in Islip and Babylon has announced he will have to close his stores.
This, after a rollercoaster of a winter.
It all started when owner Josh Greenwood posted in local Facebook groups that his locations were struggling.
“I wrote, ‘I can either close my stores, or I can come to the community for support,'” Greenwood later told the New York Post.
The community responded by rushing to gobble up his chicken, and keep him in business.
Even Michael Landesberg, the owner of Jackson Hall in East Islip got involved with the efforts. According to the Post article, which was published Jan. 29, Landesberg “acted quickly and posted a contest online, awarding $1,000 in Jackson Hall gift cards” to Yankee Doodle diners.
Greenwood reported in January that business started to boom after his public plea.
That changed today, April 2, with another post to Facebook.
“It’s looking like we are going to have to close by the end of April,” he wrote on an Islip Facebook group. “And I wanted to thank everyone for giving us a second shot. Truly a patriotic area that really loved our brand and our food. I really wanted to see the entire thing take off from Islip and Babylon.”
Gatewood, who parlayed a ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire?’ appearance into a food truck business before opening first in Islip and then in Babylon with a partner, also thanked the locals who rushed to support him these last few months.
“So many people told us how much they loved our food and I thought we were going to be able to really build a sustainable business right in Islip,” he wrote. “Unfortunately, we are back to where we were before the entire situation started … It’s a very difficult time in the food business, and without constant business, it’s almost impossible to stay afloat.”
Greenwood, who lives in Maspeth, said he will continue operating his food trucks in the boroughs.
If you’re still looking to visit Yankee Doodle Dandy’s on Long Island, The “Winner Winner” is the most popular seller. It’s four-hand breaded chicken tenders, served with natural-cut fries, Texas toast, Spirit of ‘76 sauce (their signature sauce), and Gatewood’s mother’s homemade potato salad recipe.
But you’ll also find a grilled cheese, chicken salad, club sandwich and more on the menu.
