A New Jersey-born, family-run chicken joint is continuing to heat up New York City.
Fluffies Hot Chicken, co-owned by brothers Raad and Saad Basra and their mother, will open its next location at 273 Canal St.
“We were looking for a location that attracts the neighborhood community Chinatown provides and then also the tourism that SoHo has. It’s just a great mix,” Saad told Whatnow New York City.
The new spot will join Fluffies Hot Chicken’s flagship location in Hackensack, which opened in 2022, along with its New York City outposts on the Lower East Side, Midtown and Harlem.
“When we opened, we had no idea the business would do as well as it is or even grow up to be this huge thing,” he said.
Fluffies Hot Chicken is known for its chicken sandwiches topped with pickles, coleslaw and secret sauce, along with its loaded mac and cheese and loaded French fry boxes, which come with hot chicken and all the fixings. The chicken’s spice levels range from plain, mild and medium to hot and blistering hot.
They also serve wings, rice bowls and “Frankie rolls,” which are house-made naan wraps.
The new location will mirror the joint’s other outposts, while also offering breakfast, currently exclusive to the Hackensack location, and introducing char-grilled chicken tenders.
“The biggest thing for us is quality. The chicken is not oily. It’s not sitting in a holding cabinet waiting to be served. Every time you go into a location, you’re going to receive fresh quality chicken. We’re blessed to be in a position where we could say everything is made to order because of the volume. We’re constantly making food,” Saad said.
Saad is eager to continue growing the business alongside his family.
“I’m excited to keep growing the brand. We get emails about franchising, but, for us, we’re building something. We’ve always loved working together, doing everything together, even before. We understand each other. It’s amazing,” he said.
The team plans to soft launch Fluffies Hot Chicken on Tuesday, Aug. 25, followed by an official grand opening in mid-September. Another location is also in the pipeline near Penn Station at 33rd St. and 7th Ave. next year.
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