Kingston’s first Chick-fil-A will open Thursday, the company stated.

The 1 Miron Lane, Town of Ulster site was formerly occupied by Red Lobster until its abrupt closure and brief star turn on HBO’s “This Week Tonight With John Oliver” in 2024. Long a franchise based in the South, Chick-fil-A first came to the area at state Thruway rest areas, the closest being the Plattekill Service Area in Wallkill.

The new restaurant will open bright and early at 6:30 a.m., the company said, adding that anyone who wears “cow print” in homage to the company’s decades-long bovine marketing motif, will get a free entree.

It will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Like Chick-fil-A’s everywhere, it will be closed on Sundays. The company said the new Kingston location will add 125 jobs. To learn more about employment opportunities, click here

“Seeing the impact my brothers had through their Chick-fil-A restaurants inspired me to pursue this path and serve my own community,” said local owner Asmeret Mekonen in a statement. “What began as an opportunity to support my brothers became a journey of personal and professional growth, showing me the power of investing in people. I’m excited to bring that same commitment to Kingston, where Team Members are encouraged to develop their skills, pursue their goals and feel genuinely cared for every step of the way.”

According to the company, it’s made a $25,000 donation to the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York to celebrate the Kingston opening. The restaurant will also participate in the Chick-fil-A Shared Table program, which redirects surplus food to local nonprofits.

The chain is a heavy hitter in the fast food industry, raking in $24 billion in annual sales despite having far fewer locations than other chains and being closed one day a week. But some locals have expressed opposition to the opening on social media. In 2012, the company CEO came out against marriage equality. Soon after, it was found that the company donated millions of dollars to groups which also opposed same-sex marriage. In 2019, the company announced it would shift its giving to groups focused on hunger, homelessness and education.

Last month, current Chick-fil-A CEO Andrew Cathy, in an appearance on NBC’s “Today” show, touted the chain’s faith-based outlook, telling Craig Melvin “ … we’re in business to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that’s entrusted to us, and have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.” But he seemed to dodge a question about whether the company still had an anti-LGBTQ stance, saying that everyone is welcome both to eat and work at Chick-fil-A: ““Well, for anybody that hasn’t tried us, we’d love for you to come try and have our great-tasting food and the hospitality that we’re known for,” Cathy said. “I think that everybody that will be willing to walk in the door, they’ll see that they’re welcome to come eat with us. We’d love to give them a great-tasting sandwich and give them great hospitality.”