Kennedy Fried Chicken Opens with New Owner

Long-time fans of Binghamton's Kennedy Fried Chicken restaurant are celebrating the reopening on the West Side establishment.

The Johnson City man who acquired the well-known Main Street eatery opened the place just before midday on Monday.

Omer Sheikh said he was excited to be able to finally start serving chicken and several other items to customers who were shocked when the restaurant suddenly closed several weeks ago.

Sheikh had served as the first general manager of the nearby Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen restaurant for more than a year.  But he crossed the street to take over Kennedy Fried Chicken when he learned its owner was looking for a buyer.

Sheikh worked for weeks to remodel the restaurant. He initially hoped to reopen by late last month but the renovations took longer than he had expected.

Sheikh said several customers showed up for lunch in the first hour of operation on Monday.

One man on his way to work for an afternoon shift said he stopped in when he noticed a brightly-colored "Grand Opening" sign in the restaurant's window. He said he was glad to see the place back in business.

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