{"id":89529,"date":"2025-12-10T20:11:06","date_gmt":"2025-12-10T20:11:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/89529\/"},"modified":"2025-12-10T20:11:06","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T20:11:06","slug":"nashville-hot-chicken-inspired-restaurant-coming-to-long-beach-island","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/89529\/","title":{"rendered":"Nashville hot chicken-inspired restaurant coming to Long Beach Island"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dec. 10, 2025, 2:12 p.m. ET<\/p>\n

Broadway Hot & Honey Chicken, a locally owned chicken restaurant with three Momouth County locations and a fourth opening soon, is expanding to Ocean County.<\/p>\n

The restaurant, founded by Michael Kelleher and Michael Falato of Manasquan, will open at 605 Long Beach Blvd. in Ship Bottom. It replaces Rare Co., a steak and seafood restaurant that closed in November.<\/p>\n

The building, which is one block from the beach, is going to be completely overhauled, said Kelleher, who hopes to open by summer 2026.<\/p>\n

“We are gutting the place: interior, exterior, complete renovation,” he said. “We want to make it a really cool vibe; we want it to fit the Nashville-style vibe we have in our other restaurants.”<\/p>\n

The Broadway Hot & Honey Chicken restaurants, which play country music and are decorated with bright murals<\/a> of musicians, serve sandwiches, chicken tenders with housemade sauces, wings, salads, wraps, fries and milkshakes. There are locations in Wall, Freehold Township, Middletown<\/a> and Westfield, with others on the way at Oceanport’s RiverWalk Center<\/a>\u00a0at Fort Monmouth and in Lawrenceville.<\/p>\n

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“We felt like the Manahawkin, LBI, Barnegat area is up and coming,” Kelleher said of the decision to expand to Ocean County. ” We have a lot of customers that drive up to Wall\u00a0and are coming fom that area, and that alone let us know they want one of our locations down there.”<\/p>\n

\"A\"\"\/<\/p>\n

The Ship Bottom restaurant will feature a pick-up window, indoor and outdoor seating, and delivery on and off the island. It will be open year-round, and the menu will mirror that of the other restaurants.<\/p>\n

“We want it to be a local spot for everyone, year-round,” Kelleher said.<\/p>\n

The idea for the concept came to Kelleher following visits to Nashville, where he enjoyed the city’s famous hot sauce-dipped chicken.<\/p>\n

“I’ve always loved their hot chicken down there and thought, ‘New Jersey\u2019s missing out on this,’ ” Kelleher told The Asbury Park Press in 2023.<\/a><\/p>\n

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Sarah Griesemer<\/a>\u00a0joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey in 2003 and has been writing all things food since 2014.\u00a0Send restaurant tips to sgriesemer@gannettnj.com,\u00a0follow on Instagram<\/a>\u00a0at Jersey Shore Eats\u00a0and\u00a0subscribe to her weekly newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n