HNT Chicken will soon be a household name across Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Connecticut. The Philadelphia-based concept has announced the opening of its first restaurant this Friday, December 20 at 477 Franklin Mills Circle in Philadelphia. However, the brand is not stopping there. HNT Chicken has big plans for expansion across southeastern Pennsylvania, projecting to reach 65 units by the end of 2020 and 100 units in operation by June 2021.
“HNT stands for ‘hot ‘n’ tender’ and we look forward to a hot New Year to bring a delicious new concept to the area,” said Ronak Pandya, CEO of HNT Chicken, a concept of Philadelphia-area based Pandya Restaurant Growth Brands (PRG Brands). “We have been interested in the chicken category for a long time and with our deep experience with a variety of restaurants across the area, we feel like HNT is primed to be a major player in this popular segment.”
The HNT venture will be guided by young entrepreneur Ronak Pandya who will be driving the company’s growth while also finishing his degree in entrepreneurship at Babson College. The venture is a partnership with Moonbeam Capital Investments, LLC, a private equity fund founded by Steven Maksin. Maksin is excited about the vision and future growth opportunity for the company and his experience in the real estate field will be vital in the aggressive growth plans for HNT Chicken. After the first opening in Philadelphia, HNT will open a second location in less than two weeks and then pace to open one new restaurant each week. The concept will also open its first Connecticut location in the beginning of January and its first New Jersey location by the end of February.
The new location at 477 Franklin Mills Circle will be open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday. Part of the HNT Chicken mission is to be an active participant in the communities where they open.
“We don’t want to just serve a delicious meal, we also want to serve the families and the men and women in the neighborhoods where we open. It’s very important to us that we become a positive force in the community while also providing a gathering place to share a good meal and a good time with friends and family,” said Pandya.
The HNT menu features classic chicken options with a Brazilian flair including a variety of portion sizes and zesty sauces, as well as mouth-watering sandwiches including the Big Buffalo, Dark N’ Spicy, Lite N’ Tender, HNT Signature and Stack N’ Tenders. An HNT Box comes with a sandwich, two classic tenders, hand cut fries and a medium drink. HNT Bowls include the Love N’ Spice, Italia N’ Bowl, Big N’ Tasty, Veggies N’ Friends and Greens N’ Grains. Besides fries, guests can also choose from sides including Power Slaw, sweet potato fries, a side salad and white rice.