Beloved Philadelphia Doughnut and Fried Chicken Brand Builds Major Garden State Footprint Following Marlton Debut
One of Philadelphia’s most recognizable fast-casual food brands is officially laying long-term roots in New Jersey, and the expansion of Federal Donuts & Chicken is quickly shaping up to be one of the most closely watched regional food growth stories of the year.
After opening its first New Jersey location in Marlton last spring, Federal Donuts & Chicken is now preparing to roll out multiple additional sites across the state, signaling strong confidence in the Garden State’s appetite for chef-driven comfort food and specialty doughnuts.
The brand’s New Jersey launch began at Marlton Square in Burlington County, where local franchise partners Mark Heinz and Debbie Grady introduced the concept to South Jersey diners. The Marlton location immediately became the company’s first operational outpost in the state and served as the opening move in a four-unit development agreement.
That first shop has now paved the way for a second New Jersey location, which is currently in development at MarketFair in Princeton. While an official grand opening date has not yet been announced, the Princeton site is expected to significantly broaden the brand’s reach into Central Jersey and the high-traffic Route 1 corridor.
Heinz and Grady have confirmed that two additional New Jersey locations are planned as part of their multi-unit agreement, though specific communities and timelines for those future stores have not yet been publicly disclosed.
At the same time, a separate franchise group is bringing the brand to Atlantic City, where a Federal Donuts & Chicken location is scheduled to open this spring inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. The new restaurant will join a slate of fresh dining concepts debuting as part of the property’s sweeping $50 million renovation initiative, positioning the brand squarely in one of New Jersey’s most visible tourism and entertainment hubs.
With locations now spanning South Jersey, Central Jersey, and the state’s premier resort destination, Federal Donuts & Chicken is clearly building a geographically strategic footprint designed to reach both everyday local customers and high-volume visitor traffic.
Founded in 2011, the company was created by an acclaimed hospitality team that includes James Beard Award-winning restaurateurs Michael Solomonov and Steve Cook. From its earliest days, the brand set out to blend chef-driven culinary standards with the speed and accessibility of a fast-casual model.
Today, Federal Donuts & Chicken has become widely known for its hand-crafted doughnuts, twice-fried crispy chicken, and specialty coffee program. The doughnut menu is divided into three distinct styles: “fancy” varieties topped with creative glazes and seasonal finishes, “classic” versions built around traditional milk glazes and old-fashioned flavors, and “hot fresh” doughnuts made to order and finished immediately with custom sugar and spice blends.
The chicken program centers on hand-battered tenders and wings, double-fried for extra crunch and paired with house-made dipping sauces or dry seasoning blends. The menu also includes fried chicken sandwiches and chicken-forward salads, giving the concept broader appeal beyond its signature doughnuts.
Federal Donuts & Chicken’s New Jersey growth is arriving at a moment when experiential dining and cult-favorite brands continue to drive interest across the state’s evolving food scene. Readers following the broader expansion of destination dining and specialty concepts can explore more statewide coverage in New Jersey’s growing food and beverage landscape.
The company’s regional momentum is also tied closely to its recent shift toward franchising. After formally launching its franchise program in 2024, Federal Donuts & Chicken has expanded to 12 locations nationwide in a relatively short period of time, with New Jersey emerging as one of its most aggressive new development markets.
But for many longtime fans, the brand’s cultural profile extends well beyond its storefronts.
Federal Donuts & Chicken holds a unique place in live music history thanks to its role in Phish’s legendary 13-night “Baker’s Dozen” residency at Madison Square Garden in 2017. During the run, each concert night was paired with a custom Federal Donuts flavor created specifically for the show, with the daily doughnut theme revealed each afternoon and woven directly into the band’s setlists.
Over the course of the residency, the nightly doughnut themes ranged from Coconut, Strawberry, Red Velvet, Jam Filled and Powdered to Double Chocolate, Cinnamon, Jimmies, Maple, Lemon, Boston Cream and Glazed. One night was even dedicated entirely to donut holes.
Here are the 13 flavors featured during the run:
- July 21: Coconut
- July 22: Strawberry
- July 23: Red Velvet
- July 25: Jam Filled
- July 26: Powdered
- July 28: Double Chocolate
- July 29: Cinnamon
- July 30: Jimmies (Sprinkles)
- August 1: Maple
- August 2: Holes (Donut Holes)
- August 4: Lemon
- August 5: Boston Cream
- August 6: Glazed
The band embraced the concept with playful precision, building song selections, debuts and improvisational segments around each flavor. On Jam Filled night, the group stretched “Lawn Boy” into a marathon 30-minute performance. On Lemon night, they debuted Radiohead’s “Everything In Its Right Place” and quoted the track throughout the second set. On Powdered night, the surprise debut of Prince’s “1999” became one of the most talked-about moments of the entire residency.
The residency followed a strict “no repeats” rule across all 13 nights, producing 237 distinct songs and an unusually high number of rare bust-outs and cover debuts. During one of the shows, frontman Trey Anastasio even delivered a now-famous on-stage narration concluding that the universe itself is shaped like a donut, tying the entire concept together.
Nightly Debuts and Major Bust-outs
| Date | Donut | Phish Debuts | Notable Bust-outs |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 21 | Coconut | “Shake Your Coconuts” (Junior Senior), “Coconut” (Harry Nilsson) | N/A |
| July 23 | Red Velvet | “Sunday Morning” (Velvet Underground) | “Sweet Jane” (First time since 2012, 193 shows) |
| July 25 | Jam Filled | N/A | “Lawn Boy” (transformed into a 30-minute jam) |
| July 26 | Powdered | “White Winter Hymnal” (Fleet Foxes), “Powderfinger” (Neil Young) | “1999” (Prince; first time since 1998, 524 shows) |
| July 28 | Double Chocolate | “Chocolate Rain” (Tay Zonday), “You Sexy Thing” (Hot Chocolate) | N/A |
| July 30 | Jimmies | “The Wind Cried Mary” (Jimi Hendrix) | “Esther,” “Colonel Forbin’s Ascent,” “Fly Famous Mockingbird” (All 76-show gaps) |
| August 1 | Maple | “O Canada” (Instrumental), “Maple Leaf Rag” (Scott Joplin) | “Swept Away > Steep” (First time since 2012, 192 shows) |
| August 2 | Holes | “Way Down in the Hole” (Tom Waits), “O Holy Night” | N/A |
| August 4 | Lemon | “See That My Grave Is Kept Clean” (Blind Lemon Jefferson), “Everything In Its Right Place” (Radiohead) | “Dinner and a Movie” (First time since 2013, 164 shows) |
| August 6 | Glazed | “Most Events Aren’t Planned” (Vida Blue) | “Izabella” (Jimi Hendrix; first time since 1998, 576 shows) |
That pop-culture crossover helped cement Federal Donuts & Chicken as a brand that resonates far beyond traditional restaurant audiences, especially among music fans and younger, experience-driven consumers.
For New Jersey, the brand’s arrival represents more than another fast-casual opening. It reflects a broader shift toward chef-led concepts expanding into suburban and mixed-use retail centers, bringing destination-level food experiences into everyday neighborhoods.
With a second location headed to Princeton, a casino-anchored outpost opening in Atlantic City, and two additional stores planned behind the scenes, Federal Donuts & Chicken is positioning itself as a long-term player in New Jersey’s competitive dining market. The pace and scope of its expansion suggest that the Marlton debut was only the beginning of a much larger Garden State rollout.
