Haven Hot Chicken will open its fifth location at 1206 Storrs Road on Saturday, Nov. 18
Haven Hot Chicken has four other locations in Connecticut: New Haven, Orange, Norwalk and North Haven. Now, the new Storrs location will bring “Nashville-Hot Chicken” and “Not Chicken” walking distance from the UConn campus.
Rob LaTronica, a University of Connecticut alumnus and Haven Hot Chicken co-founder, said they will be giving away 500 free tendie sliders on a first come, first serve basis for the grand opening on Nov. 18.
“Our openings keep getting bigger and better, so to celebrate this opening of Store #005, we will be giving away 500 tendie sliders to the first guests in line when we open at 10 a.m. on Nov. 18!,” LaTronica said.
The press release said the location will have all the southern-style signature menu items, including their famous chicken and “Not Chicken” vegetarian options, ranging from not spicy to very spicy, as well as traditional southern sides and seasonal limited-time offerings.
The restaurant, one of the “first fully dedicated Nashville Hot Chicken concepts in New England”, has five levels of heat starting with “country” (no spice) all the way to “haven” (hottest spice), according to their website.
The Storrs location will be open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday, they will be open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
“We are counting down to our big grand opening, located within walking distance of the UConn campus offering a new, delicious, convenient spot for students, staff, faculty and local area residents to grab a quick bite to eat,” LaTronica said.
In addition to in-house dining, the location will offer online ordering, curbside takeout, UberEats delivery and catering services, according to their website.
Cynthia van Zelm, executive director of the Mansfield Downtown Partnership, said Haven Hot Chicken will be a great addition to Mansfield and the UConn community. Van Zelm added that the owners are UConn alumni, making it even more special to see graduates succeed and bring their business to Storrs.
“We are very excited about Haven Hot Chicken as a new part of Downtown Storrs,” van Zelm said. “They bring a unique regional product to our downtown that will appeal to a lot of audiences.”
The restaurant works to give back to the Connecticut community, and the Storrs location will also participate in the brand’s long-term partnership with Connecticut Foodshare, raising funds to help curb food insecurity in the state. The Great Banana Pudding Drive also donates one dollar for the sale of each pudding to the foodshare, according to the press release.
“Year to date, Haven Hot Chicken has donated more than $30,000 to the organization helping to feed over 60,000 Connecticut neighbors,” the press release said.
According to the press release, the restaurant was highlighted in 2023 as one of the “8 Fast Food Chains that serve the Best Hot Chicken” around the country by Eat This, Not That!, and was the winner of The Perfect Pitch concept competition at the 2023 Fast Casual Executive Summit.
There will be two more Connecticut locations opening soon in Middletown and Newington as well.
For more information, follow @havenhotchicken on Instagram or visit havenhotchicken.com
