IKEA

Flagship store in Sweden.

This one I've been meaning to do. IKEA are big across the globe but have yet to open in Upstate NY. Brooklyn, Paramus and other tri-state stores are the closest right now, but it's just not enough. They usually prefer big areas like that and only have pickup spots Upstate in Liverpool and Cheektowaga right now. However, they have decided to give smaller areas a chance.

New Hartford - former Macys/Kaufmanns/Hess's, Sangertown Square, NY 5 & 5A
Henrietta - former Macys/Kaufmanns/Sibleys; Marketplace Mall; NY 252 & 15
Watertown - former Bon-Ton/Chappells; Salmon Run Mall; NY 3 & CR 100
Victor - former Lord & Taylor, Eastview Mall, NY 96

Syracuse (north side) - former AtHome/Ames/Hills; Destiny USA (confirmed for Fall 2025, a fifth the size of the Boston store)
Williamsville - former Best Buy, NY 78
Colonie - former Christmas Tree Shops; Colonie Ctr; NY 5

Dedicated to the memory of Ingvar Kamprad.

Benihana

LA location

Now for something new for the new year. I heard of Benihana through The Golden Girls, both being based in the Miami/Ft Lauderdale area. It's a chain of Japanese restaurants yet to embrace CNY. While I'm not familiar with this kind of cuisine myself, it's good to branch out a little:

Syracuse (east side) - NY 5, former Firudo (another Japanese restaurant that moved down the street)/Doughertys Masquerade/Empire Vision/gym and spa?
deWitt - NY 5, District East (ex-Shoppingtown if above not chosen)
Syracuse (north side) - Destiny USA; former Bon-Ton, Cantina Loredo or Margaritaville (two other restaurant vacancies are too close too another Japanese steakhouse or since taken)
Auburn - NY 5 and US 20, Fingerlakes Mall, former Rex or NY 5, former Dennys
East Syracuse - Bridge St and Enterprise Pkwy, former Carmellas Café (if first two aren't considered)
Canastota - NY 5 and 13, former Family Dollar
New Hartford - NY 5A, Sangertown Square or former Zebbs or Dennys
Oswego - NY 104
Fulton - NY 481 & CR 57, River Glen Plaza
Cortland - NY 13, Riverside Plaza

Jersey Mikes

Now I can get my own!

Jersey Mikes are another sub chain yet to grace CNY shores as it's too easy to go to rivals Subway (even Old Forge and Skaneateles have those).  I went by the Plains Township, PA one last year, but it was too out of the way.  Albany's the closest one I know right now (even though I usually go to local competitor Mr Subb when I'm in the Capital Region).  Here's where they need to be in CNY and beyond:

deWitt - NY 5 (Marshalls Plaza confirmed; now open)
Cortland - NY 13 (former Naples Italian Eatery [by I-81] and/or McDonalds [Cortlandville by NY 281])
Fulton - NY 481 (former Nestlé site)
Oswego - NY 104  or downtown
Rochester - NY 15 (former Jimmy Johns)
Henrietta - NY 252 (former Mighty Taco or Calios once that closes)
Auburn - NY 5 (former Tim Hortons)
Poughkeepsie - US 9 (former Quiznos)
Various - closing Subways that don't overlap with existing JMs

Halloween Express

Charlotte, NC location.  Enter if you dare!

Here's a new one.  However, due to its blatantly seasonal nature, Halloween Express are only open from late August until its very purpose, much like their competitor Spirit of Halloween, who are already in town every year.  There are a number of locations that may be available next year:

Clay - Great Northern Mall, NY 31 & 481; former Macys or Bon-Ton
deWitt - Shoppingtown Mall, NY 5; former Dicks or JCPenney
Westvale - Westvale Plaza, NY 5, former Tops
Chittenango - NY 5 & 13, former Kinney Pharmacy
Bridgeport -  NY 31, former Kinney or Great American
Canastota - NY 5 & 13, former Family Dollar
Auburn - former P&C
Fulton - NY 481, former kmart
Liverpool - Seneca Mall, CR 57; former kmart or Price Chopper
Cortland - Riverside Plaza, NY 13; former flea market
New Hartford - NY 5A, former Price Chopper
Colonie - NY 5, former Sears, Colonie Ctr or Barnes & Noble, Wolf Rd.
Henrietta - NY 252, former Tops
Canandaigua - NY 5 & US 20
Syracuse (north side) - Destiny USA, former Bon-Ton
Syracuse (west side) - Western Lights, former Herb Phillipsons/kmart
Syracuse (east side) - NY 5, former Empire Vision/spa?/Doughertys/Firudo
Syracuse (south side) - US 11, former P&C/Tops
Queens - former Caldor
Poughkeepsie - US 44 & NY 55, former ShopRite
Irondequoit - Medley Ctr
Williamsville - Eastern Hills Mall
Baldwinsville - former Family Dollar

Oswego - former Gordmans/Peebles, NY 104

Oneida - former Gordmans/Peebles, NY 365A

Back in my day, we had Switz's and Dougherty's, but that's for another post!

AutoNation

AutoNation Toyota.

AutoNation are a different animal from CarMax, yet also have no footprint yet in CNY (they're mostly in Florida).  They could go where other car dealers used to be that no one else has bothered with since:

Fulton - former Davidson/Fred Raynor/Reymore Ford, NY 3
Syracuse - former Lowery Bros Chrysler Plymouth Jeep Eagle, NY 5
Lakeland - former Vals Dodge, State Fair Blvd
Central Square - Burdick Ford, NY 49 (only if they ever decide to move to their sister dealerships at Drivers Village [née Penn Can Mall] in Cicero similar to how Davidson Ford moved to Liverpool; then Burdick Ford can go in the former Burlington or merge with the Lincoln Mercury Mazda division)
Phoenix - Former Sharon/Fox Chevrolet, CR 57 & 57A (moved to across from Davidson Ford)
Utica - former Paolozzi Mazda, former NY 49
Rome - former dealership, NY 233, 49, 69 and 365.

Tim Hortons

Calgary, ALB store at nights in Prairie Canada.

    It's been a couple years since Tim Hortons' US office decided to close shops in CNY except those inside Delta Sonic, leaving Rochester with the closest stand-alone locations to Syracuse (I sometimes go there or in the border community).  Only a few have become other things to date (will be indicated).

North Syracuse (Sweetheart Corners) - US 11 & W Taft Rd - former site of Sweetheart Market, CVS and Eckerd; later Café Kubal; now Zaman Coffee House
Downtown Syracuse - now Original Grain
Syracuse (Nob Hill) - NY 173 (now Dunkin')
Weedsport - NY 31 & 34
Fulton - NY 481 (now Arbys only)
Oswego - NY 481 & W Utica St (now Aspen Dental)
Syracuse (Thompson Road) - NY 635, now WellNow
East Syracuse - NY 290 (now Dunkin')
Oneida - NY 5 (now Arbys)
Syracuse (Skunk City) (now Dunkin')
Cicero (US 11) - briefly Mighty Taco
Auburn - NY 5
Cortland - NY 13 - now Visions FCU
Baldwinsville (Moyers Corners) - NY 31 & CR 57 (formerly Hardees, Cams Pizzeria, JDs and Dougs Fish Fry; now Splash Car Wash Express)
Niagara Falls, ONT - Niagara Square in food court (mall converted to power centre; existing one up the road; only one I'm doing from the boys' turf)
East Syracuse (between NY 298 and I-481) - Northern Blvd & E Taft Road (now Dunkin')
Liverpool - 7th North St & Buckley Rd. (now McDonalds)
Baldwinsville (TBD) - NY 31 & 370 or Downer St.

Blaze Pizza

Typical Blaze Pizza location (unsure just where)

NBA superstar leBron James is spokestar and investor of LA-area pizza chain Blaze, but it's more the idea of another multinational chain not yet in these parts rather him than being on the Cuyahoga County team that warrants a post. A local place that has quick brick oven fire-baked pizza will have to compete if Blaze comes to town. I may next look into CPK at a later date.

Henrietta - NY 252, Southtown Plaza
deWitt - NY 5 (now open)
Canandaigua - US 20 & NY 5, former Ponderosa
Oswego - NY 104, former Eckerd/Fays/Rite Aid or Pizza Hut
Auburn - US 20 & NY 5, Fingerlakes Mall or former Dennys, NY 5
Rochester (Henrietta) - NY 252, former Mighty Taco
Irondequoit - Skyview on the Ridge (formerly Medley Ctr)
Watertown - NY 3, former Titled Kilt