Chick-fil-A Race: Johnson City Pulls Ahead of Vestal

In the most visible sign yet that Broome County residents can soon expect to wait in line at their own Chick-fil-A drive-up, an old bank building has been torn down in Johnson City.

The demolition of the recently-closed Key Bank branch office in the Oakdale Commons began Tuesday and continued on Wednesday.

While crews were working at the future Johnson City restaurant site in the cold, windy conditions, nothing was going on at the spot in Vestal's Town Square Mall where another Chick-fil-A location is in the works.

Chick-fil-A has not publicly announced a timeline for development of its first restaurants in the Binghamton area.

There's been an intense interest in the chain's arrival in Broome County for the past decade with various potential sites generating discussion and, at times, disappointment.

Oakdale Commons representatives have said they are prepared to turn over the former Key Bank site to the developers of the Chick-fil-A project by March 1.

Officials with Brixmor Property Group have not announced when the demolition of a closed restaurant building at the Town Square Mall will get underway.

Vestal's planned Chick-fil-A is to be built where a Pizzeria Uno and, later, a Storming Crab eatery had operated.

The Storming Crab closed in October 2022 after its restaurant permit expired. The place has been dark since then.

Chick-fil-A representatives have said their new restaurants typically open about six months after construction begins.

TODAY IN JOHNSON CITY: The demolition workers did what needed to be done to prepare the future restaurant site at the Oakdale Commons.

TODAY IN VESTAL: Things remained tranquil at the Town Square Mall on December 3, 2025.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com or call (607) 545-2250. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.