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The now empty KFC
Photo Credit: Jennifer Swift
The KFC located on Downing Drive has closed.
Photo Credit: Jennifer Swift
YORKTOWN, N.Y. – A second franchise in six months has closed its doors in the strip of stores on Downing Drive.
Kentucky Fried Chicken, or KFC, closed last week with little notice for residents who enjoyed the fast-food chain.
A request for comment from KFC corporate as to the exact date when the store closed, the number of employees who worked there and the reason for the store's closing only yielded this comment from KFC spokesman Rick Maynard: "The local franchisee made the business decision to close the Yorktown Heights restaurant," Maynard said in an email. "We hope our loyal customers will continue to visit our nearby locations in Peekskill and Carmel."
A different fast-food chain will soon be brought to Yorktown – a Pizza Hut is slated to open up in the Mohegan Lake section of town to replace the vacant Charlie Brown's space.
In June, Richie's Ice Cream Shop and Bakery, which was located in the same strip of stores, closed after the shopowner, Richie Scarchilli, faced charges of promoting a sexual performance by a child and possessing an obscene sexual performance by a child.
I agree with oliverdog completely! There are so many vacant commercial properties in Yorktown Heights that its getting ridiculous. It seems like all of the business are getting out of Yorktown and moving into Cortlandt or other areas.
This migration and collapse of small businesses in Yorktown has a real and visible impact on the tax base and quality of life. For as much as the Town tries to maintain its old world charm and keep up a nice and uniform appearance, they seem to be turning a blind eye to the fact that there are hundreds of thousands of commercial square feet that are currently vacant, and every year we see more small businesses fold or leave for lower rents.
I don't see fewer choices, vacant strip malls, increasing tax burden on residents and a shrinking local economy as progress. Surely, there must be businesses that would like to take advantage of the higher educations, high household incomes and dearth of variety in our area. Let's let some of these businesses in instead of fighting them off with out-of-date zoning laws and out-of-touch legislation. Businesses drive the economy, provide jobs, expand choices, and build an identify for the area (think Silicone Valley, Wall Street, Research Triangle, etc.). Let's stop being a small town stuck in the past and be an affluent town looking towards the future.