The First Rockland Chick-fil-A Has Arrived

The opening has the RCT wondering…Should we eat mor’ Rockland?

As of today, August 14th, 2025, the chicken-crazed fast food joint with a cult following has officially come to Rockland at 70 E Route 59. Prior to this, Rocklanders have had to drive across the border into Jersey or travel to the Sloatsburg rest stop for their six days a week waffle fries and chicken sandwiches.

While the excitement in the county is tangible, many are expressing concern over increased traffic and the saturation of fast food restaurants in the area. With the Popeyes by Nanuet Town Center and the Chick-fil-A being built almost simultaneously in an area already equipped with a McDonald’s, a Chipotle, a Wendy’s, a Shake Shack and so on, people are beginning to wonder; how much is too much? At what point are we taking away from the beating heart of the county and replacing it with convenience?

One local chicken-centric favorite of Rocklanders is Dom ToGo in New City and Nanuet. This locally owned establishment is well known for their community support, opening spots for two fundraisers a week at each location. These fundraiser slots has proved a hit, filling up quickly and donating ten to fifteen percent of their proceeds from the day to recognizable names such as Clarkstown North Freshman Student Council, St. Gregory Barbarigo Theater Club, North Rockland Varsity Football Team, Rockland Relay for Life, and Farley Elementary School PTA. Dominick Lexandra, the owner of Dom ToGo, believes his restaurant’s earnings are “…blessings from God,” and states that with those blessings comes a responsibility to help others.

In appreciation of his work, Dominick has been awarded a Community Appreciation Award by the New City Volunteer Ambulance, a Certificate of Recognition for Dedication to the Community by Ed Day, and recently Dominick announced a lifelong 10% discount to all first responders, nurses, teachers, bus drivers, and members of the Sons of Italy, the Elk’s Lodge or the  Knight’s of Columbus as further proof of his commitment to spreading the wealth.

Everything at Dom’s is purchased and made fresh daily, and instead of throwing out food at the end of the night, Dominick invites those who may be struggling to make ends meet to either pay-as-you-will or to take the leftover trays free of charge.

While Dominick is creating an undeniable impact on his community, it is impossible to ignore the positives that come with a popular chain entering the area.

According to a press release shared with the RCT, the Owner-Operator of the new Chick-fil-A will be Ellie Kim. Kim is not exactly a newcomer to the area, having previously lived minutes from where the restaurant is now. In her statement, Kim mentioned how many of her family members still live in Nanuet, calling the town a “…tight-knit, vibrant community that I call home.”

Kim continued on, sharing “What excites me most…is the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with local schools, first responders, businesses, and, of course, the residents of Nanuet. My goal is to create a welcoming space where the community feels at home.” With her close family ties, it is hard not to believe that these community relationships are ones close to her heart.

The opening of the restaurant will create 100 new jobs in the area, and to celebrate the opening Chick-fil-A will be making a $25,000 donation to Feeding America. Those funds will be distributed to the “greater New York area”. Kim has also committed to participating in Chick-fil-A’s Shared Table program, which redirects the franchise’s surplus food to local nonprofits. How the program works within Rockland and which nonprofits the food will be delivered to remains unclear.

In terms of the fast food giant opening less than two miles from his Nanuet location, Dominick had this to say. “I think competition is great for the customers…It actually helps us to make sure we’re focusing on doing the right thing and making good products.”

The question remains – is there a way to support local businesses while still indulging in the occasional convenience of a number 4 meal with a large sweet tea? The answer is up to Rockland to decide. Do Rocklanders want a convenient, chain-filled county with larger but more spread out corporate donations, or smaller family-run mom and pops where orders have the potential to take longer, but their community support tends to come with a hyper-local impact?

Either way, one thing is for sure –  no one is excited about the uptick in traffic Rockland is bound to see for the first several weeks following the grand opening.