BUSINESS · WEST BABYLON

The long-running question about the Chick-fil-A at the Great South Bay Shopping Center finally has an answer, and it is not the one anyone was waiting for.

It is not coming.

The company confirmed to Greater Long Island that it is no longer moving forward at 805 Montauk Highway, closing out a proposal that sat in front of the Town of Babylon for more than four years.

The site was the old Payless pad in the shopping center. The plan was to knock it down and put up a 5,000-square-foot restaurant in its place.

The Babylon Town Planning Board first approved it in April 2022. Chick-fil-A came back in September 2025 with a modified, expanded site plan, and the board approved that one unanimously. As recently as last fall it looked ready to go.

Then nothing.

“We are always evaluating potential new locations in the hopes of serving existing and new customers great food with remarkable service,” the company said in a statement. “We would very much like to have more restaurants in West Babylon, but we have no new locations to confirm at this time.”

The nearest consolation is one town over: the Bay Shore location, going into the vacant TGI Fridays at South Shore Mall, is still moving ahead.

Sources: Greater Long Island · Town of Babylon