After a 7 Year Wait, Wappingers Falls' Newest Restaurant Opens

It's been a long time coming, but a restaurant that has been in the works for nearly seven years is finally serving customers in the Village of Wappingers Falls.

Chicken lovers are rejoicing after the highly anticipated business has officially opened its doors on East Main Street, ending a saga that has stretched on for years and left many local residents wondering if the restaurant would ever actually open.

Kennedy Fried Chicken Finally Opens in Wappingers Falls

Last year, we reported that construction of the long-delayed Kennedy Fried Chicken in the Village of Wappingers appeared to finally be nearing the finish line. At the time, plans called for the restaurant to open by October of 2025.

October came and went, as did the rest of 2025 and most of 2026, with no opening date in sight. Now, almost a full year after that projected opening date, Kennedy Fried Chicken is finally up and running.

The restaurant is located in a building on the corner of East Main and Market, famous for its huge American Flag mural painted on the side. Plans to transform the property into a Kennedy Fried Chicken location date all the way back to 2019. What followed was a frustrating series of delays and obstacles that kept pushing the restaurant's opening further into the future.

Over the years, work continued on the building while residents watched and waited. There were signs of progress along the way, but each time it appeared the restaurant might be getting close to opening, another delay seemed to pop up.

Seven-Year Wait Finally Ends

Just when everyone thought the restaurant would never open, Kennedy Fried Chicken suddenly opened their doors this weekend, serving up its famous fried chicken, wings, burgers, gyros and other fast-food favorites.

Colorful banners were strung across the front of the building, attracting customers from across the village and declaring that Kennedy Fried Chicken is finally open for business.