TKK Fried Chicken opening first Jersey Shore store; others join it at Hazlet Town Center

HAZLET - TKK Fried Chicken, a restaurant chain founded in Taiwan, is on the way to Route 35, the latest eatery to sign on at the redeveloped Hazlet Town Center shopping center.

On its website, TKK Fried Chicken lists the new location as "Coming Soon." It will be a joint restaurant with Kung Fu Tea, a concept that features varieties of bubble tea drinks.

The new restaurant will be in a 1,250-square-foot storefront between AT&T Wireless and KPot Korean BBQ & Hot Pot, according to Gregg Medvin, executive vice president of Marlboro-based Pierson Commercial Real Estate, the shopping center's broker. KPot is under construction and has not yet opened.

A representative of TKK Fried Chicken could not be reached for comment. On its website, TKK says it mixes "the bold flavors of the East with the juicy golden crispy techniques of the West."

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TKK was founded in 1974 by Shih Kwei-ting, opening its first restaurant in Ximending, a neighborhood in the Wanhua District of Taipei, Taiwan. In November 2018, TKK opened a joint restaurant with Kung Fu Tea in New York City’s Flatiron neighborhood, its first U.S. location.

In New Jersey, TKK Fried Chicken and Kung Fu Tea now have joint locations in Cherry Hill and Cedar Knolls.

TKK features fried chicken, chicken tenders, chicken sandwiches and wings along with Kwa Kwa Bao, a dish made with sticky rice, shitake mushrooms and pork, and sides such as mashed potatoes, cole slaw and charred corn.

TKK Fried Chicken/Kung Fu Tea join other tenants including Burlington, Aldi, Planet Fitness, Panera Bread, and TGI Fridays.

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Here's what else is happening at Hazlet Town Center.

Urban Air Adventure Park

Urban Air Adventure Park, which has moved into the former Pathmark and Kmart stores, opened on Dec. 9. A grand opening event will be scheduled for later this month.

"We are beyond excited to finally open the doors of Urban Air Hazlet," said Sweta Shah, who co-owns the Urban Air location with sister Sheetal Shah and family friend Prashant Desai. "It has been a long journey, and we have worked hard to bring a safe, fun and super exciting family entertainment center with incredible attractions for the entire family."

The indoor entertainment facility takes up nearly 40,000 square feet, including eight rooms for parties and corporate events.

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The Hazlet location features attractions such as "Spin Zone" and "Flip Zone" bumper cars, a "Sky Rider" indoor zip line, a ropes course, climbing walls, laser tag, virtual reality and trampolines. There also is a café with a menu that includes pizza and soft drinks.

Wawa

Workers continue to prepare for construction of a new Wawa convenience store with fuel pumps located at the edge of the parking lot near Route 35, next to TGI Fridays.

A Wawa spokesperson said construction is expected to begin in early January with a store opening projected for summer 2024.

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David P. Willis, an award-winning business writer, has covered business, retail, real estate and consumer news at the Asbury Park Press for 25 years. He writes APP.com's What's Going There column and can be reached at dwillis@gannettnj.com. Please sign up for his weekly newsletter and join his What's Going There page on Facebook for updates.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: TKK Fried Chicken joining Urban Air, Wawa at Hazlet Town Center