Chick-Fil-A Plans To Open In Union Square: Reports

UNION SQUARE, NY — The Chick-Fil-A takeover of New York City is set to continue as the southern fast food giant is in negotiations to open in a large space previously occupied by a beloved Union Square restaurant, according to reports.

The Atlanta-based chicken chain — revered for its nuggets and sandwiches, but despised by many for its backing of homophobic organizations and causes — is negotiating a deal to occupy an 11,00-square-foot space once home to the Blue Water Grill at 31 Union Square West, Crain's New York Business first reported.

Blue Water Grill closed at the beginning of the month, but its demise was in the cards since 2017, Patch reported at the time. Just one year after renovating the space, landlords raised the restaurant's rent up to an annual rate of $2 million.

"Even though this is one of New York's most successful restaurants, it can't be successful with a $2 million plus rent," a spokeswoman for the restaurant's parent company Landry's said in a statement. "Therefore, we will be relocating within the next year. In the meantime, it is business as usual."

The Crain's report did not specify what Chick-Fil-A will pay to rent the location. The chain, which operates under a franchise model where each store is independently owned, first opened in New York City in 2015.

Since moving into the city, the company has hired more than 1,000 people and served millions of customers at its four locations, according to a press statement from the company.

The 11,000-square-foot location in Union Square is much larger than a typical fast food restaurant, but it won't even be the biggest Chick-Fil-A in the city. The 12,000-square-foot location in the Financial District claims to be the largest Chik-Fil-A in the world.

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