A plan for Chick-fil-A at South Shore Mall, replacing TGI Fridays site, moves forward

Islip Town officials have advanced a plan for a new Chick-fil-A at Bay Shore’s South Shore Mall, according to a senior town planner and an attorney for the fast food chain, but additional town approvals are needed before the restaurant becomes a reality.

The Chick-fil-A would replace a long-shuttered TGI Fridays and be situated on about 2 acres at the southeast corner of the mall’s 87-acre property, along Sunrise Highway. Newsday reported that the TGI Fridays at the site shut down in January 2024.

Chick-fil-A wants to demolish the 7,100-square-foot former Fridays to make space for a 5,100-square-foot restaurant that would include a double drive-thru lane, 88 indoor seats and 16 outdoor seats, according to Chick-fil-A attorney Denise J. Vista.

The seven-member town planning board unanimously voted to back the project last month when it granted Chick-fil-A a fast food permit for the property and approved the restaurant’s request for outdoor seating.

Islip Town Senior Planner Kellie Woznick recommended the approval, telling the board that “busy highways like Sunrise are areas where we would typically like to see fast food restaurants.”

The proposed Chick-fil-A still needs town approval for its site plan and a building permit, according to an Islip spokesperson.

Vista didn't respond to Newsday’s request for comment on the planning board's decision. It’s unclear when construction might begin or when the company expects the new location to open. 

The South Shore Mall Chick-fil-A would operate from 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., according to Woznick. She said most restaurants at the mall open at 7 a.m., but the proposed location made the earlier start acceptable for town staffers.

“The building is located very close to Sunrise Highway and the closest home is over 300 feet away,” she said.

The planning board’s approval came with some conditions for the chain. It will have to add new landscaping around the perimeter, for example, and replace some mall fencing that Woznick described as “dilapidated.” Chick-fil-A will also have to fix up the parking lot at the mall, which is “in great disrepair,” according to Woznick.

By Sam Kmack

sam.kmack@newsday.com

Sam Kmack covers the Town of Islip for Newsday. He is a graduate of the University of Southern California and previously worked as a city watchdog reporter in the Phoenix metro area, as well as an investigative journalist at the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting.