Hangry Joeโs Hot Chicken & Wings is now open in Wesley Chapel! The new chicken-focused, quick-service restaurant has opened on the north side of Wesley Chapel Blvd. just west of I-75, in front of The Grove, next to Brooklyn Water Bagel (in the former location of King of the Coop).
This is the eighth Hangry Joeโs location in Florida. The Wesley Chapel restaurantโs Grand Opening was held on Oct. 19, following a โsoftโ opening a few days before. The husband-and-wife team of Nico and Jalahany Gutierrez was on hand for the Grand Opening, making sure everything was running smoothly in their new franchise, as the line outside their location began building several hours before the new Hangry Joeโs opened.
In fact, Zephyrhills resident Richard Coley, who was first on line, said he arrived โat about midnightโ in order to be first. He even brought his own comfy chair with him!
As to why Richard โ who said this was his third attempt at being first on line for a Hangry Joeโs opening (he was first in Zephyrhills and third at Cocoa Beach, when he said a couple came to the soft opening the day before โand just never leftโ) โ is so taken with Hangry Joeโs, he said, โItโs the biggest chicken sandwich Iโve ever seen in my life…and itโs delicious!โ
Richard was guaranteed one of the 25 top prizes given away to the first 100 people on line โ one free โSandoโ per week for a year (Jannah also got one of the 24 other randomly-distributed top prizes) โ and as promised, the first 100 attendees all were served within the first hour of the new Hangry Joeโs opening.
Meanwhile, Nico, a Wesley Chapel resident for 14 years, wasnโt afraid to get behind the counter and help out both his customers and his staff. He wore a Hangry Joeโs branded polo, setting the example for his employees.
Nico also owns Code Ninjas, located in the New Tampa Center plaza at Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. at New Tampa/Cross Creek Blvd.
As to why someone who has a long professional background in software engineering got into the restaurant business, Nico said, โI worked in restaurants when I was younger and knew I would eventually get back to it.โ He also said he got connected with the Hangry Joeโs brand when he was invited to a Founders Dinner back in February because he wanted to learn more about the franchise. From that first meeting to opening in October, things obviously moved pretty quickly.
When asked what really sets Hangry Joeโs apart from its competition, Nico explained that itโs the Korean touch โ from the way the chicken is prepared to the way itโs fried. According to the companyโs website, โFounders Derek Cha and Mike Kim [both from South Korea] are the dynamic duo behind the success of Hangry Joeโs Hot Chicken & Wings…,โ and that, โTheir meticulous approach to sourcing ingredients, like locally-raised chickens and Korean gochujang peppers, ensures that each dish is a perfect blend of heat, sweetness, and smoky goodness.โ The company also prides itself on never freezing its chicken.
Unlike many fast food restaurants, the food that came out actually looked better than the pictures on the menu board! The โSando,โ their normal-size fried chicken sandwich, was plump and juicy, lightly fried, with the right amount of pickles and slaw, on a beautifully toasted bun.
The โmediumโ sauce had just the right amount of heat and flavor. For more extreme tastes, try the โMega Sandoโ which is a huge half- pound chicken breast, and go all the way up on the heat scale to โAngry Hot,โ but be aware that youโll have to sign a waiver if you do!
In addition to sandwiches, wings and Kore- an-style nuggets, Hangry Joeโs also offers chicken & waffles, waffle fries, mac & cheese, salads and wrap sandwiches.
The new Hangry Joeโs Hot Chicken & Wings is located at 27835 Wesley Chapel Blvd., Unit 102. For more info, visit HangryJoesWesleyChapel.com or call (813) 519-4997.
