Prominent restaurateur Jim McCoy is being remembered as a “culinary legend” in the Binghamton area.
McCoy died on June 30, according to his obituary. He was 78.
Most recently the owner of McCoy’s Chophouse, McCoy’s contributions to the local dining scene began long before that.
He opened fine dining steakhouse Number 5 on Binghamton’s South Side in 1978. Housed inside a former fire station, the iconic restaurant was a pillar in the community for 42 years.
He found success in his other ventures as well, including Lampy’s Mediterranean Grill, which opened on W. Main Street in Endicott in 2004, and the blended reimagining of both restaurants at McCoy’s.
Jim McCoy, owner of the Number 5 Restaurant in Binghamton, sits behind his desk in August 2018.
Dining at one of McCoy’s restaurants was a culinary experience customers would have a hard time finding anywhere else.
McCoy “raised the bar” in the restaurant industry, said Station 45 American Chophouse owner Mark Yonaty.
“Through his stoic demeanor, Jim had a heart of gold,” he said. “I’m not sure there is another restaurateur in the Southern Tier with the passion and love he had for the industry.”
The Number 5 was located at 33 S. Washington St in Binghamton.
Even in 2017, when McCoy placed Number 5 and Lampy’s up for sale and spoke of his imminent retirement, he couldn’t step away from the industry entirely.
He opened McCoy’s Chophouse at the Lampy’s location in 2020. A blend of his two iconic restaurants, it quickly became an area favorite for fine dining.
When he put the restaurant on the market in 2024, he took to Facebook to announce the news to customers. “However,” he said in the post, “if I sell, I’ll probably still be around. What else would I do?”
The restaurant was open for six years before McCoy finally made the decision to close it in April, noting health reasons as the primary factor.
McCoy’s Chophouse, located at 105 W. Main St. in Endicott, closed its doors on April 14, 2026.
With over half a century in the restaurant industry, McCoy made a lasting impact on the community he called home.
He was “his own man” and “beat to his own drum,” Yonaty said.
He was, according to Paul VanSavage, Southern Tier Independent Restaurants board member, Spiedie Fest co-founder and longtime Binghamton foodie, a “culinary legend.”
“Jim ran his restaurants just like the sign hanging in the Number 5 kitchen read — ‘Good enough never is,'” VanSavage said. “But he was much more than just an astute business operator. He was a mentor, counselor, and perhaps most important of all, a friend to those who worked for him.”
McCoy is survived by his wife, Lisa McCoy; his children, Josh McCoy, Kellianne Milliner (Dave), Megan McCoy (Sean Walsh), and Ryan McCoy (Bernice), whom he shared with Mary Simonson, the mother of his children; and his stepchildren, Michael Aikey (Devon) and Troy Aikey (Sarah). He is also survived by his brother, Tom McCoy (Marge), and his grandchildren, according to his obituary.
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Binghamton restaurateur Jim McCoy remembered as ‘culinary legend’
