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From left: Marcus Randolph, CEO and president of Invest Newark; Newark Mayor Ras Baraka; Walter ‘Uncle Willie’ Green, owner and founder of Uncle Willie’s Wings and Onyx Equities Co-Founder and Managing Principal Jonathan Schultz were among those on hand Nov. 1 to mark the opening of the eatery at The Junction at Gateway Center. — Courtesy: Onyx
By Joshua Burd
A popular local wing spot has opened its doors at the new-look restaurant row inside Newark’s sprawling Gateway office complex.
Onyx Equities, the developer behind the property’s recent transformation, joined Uncle Willie’s Wings and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka this week to welcome the eatery to The Junction at Gateway Center. The space marks the operator’s second location in the city, while filling out a roster that includes nearly a dozen new businesses that have opened or will do so in the coming months at the four-building, 2.3 million-square-foot office complex.
Founder Walter “Uncle Willie” Green is an Army veteran and philanthropist who is also a 2023 graduate of Invest Newark and Interise’s Small Business Stronger Pilot program in Newark, which focused on developing the leadership skills of participating business owners, according to a news release.
“Uncle Willie’s Wings is Newark’s newest success story (is) because of the same things that make an award-winning dish: ingredients, preparation and presentation,” Baraka said. “In this case, the ingredients include Walter Green’s big philanthropic heart, always willing to serve the community with love. His prep included steps for collaboration with Invest Newark and entrepreneurial support programs. And the presentation is garnished with the savory flavor of ’90s hip-hop. It’s a winning combination. I congratulate Walter and his staff at Uncle Willie’s Wings and I invite anyone with an enterprising dream to take advantage of Newark’s many retail initiatives to make their dream come true!”
Founded in 2019, the business was the winner of a competition announced by Onyx and Baraka in 2021 that provided a space at the Junction’s restaurant row, which would be fully built out and delivered to a Newark-based restaurant operator at no up-front cost to the operator. The company is known for its distinctive, original hip hop-themed sauces including Buffalo, Lemon Pepper Wett, Roasted Garlic Parmesan, Uncle Willie’s Signature Willie’s sauce, Bitter Ex and the Queen Bee.
At the Junction, it joins the likes of Chip City, fresh&co, Farinella Artisanal Pizza & Bakery, 375° Chicken ‘N Fries, Jersey Mike’s and Dunkin, with Mökbar and Kamasu by Kissaki coming soon.
“Walter not only has an incredible talent for cooking, but he also has a deep love for Newark and an unwavering dedication to the community,” said Jonathan Schultz, co-founder and managing principal at Onyx Equities. “We are thrilled that Walter and his team have joined our restaurant lineup at The Junction at Gateway Center.”
Green added: “It’s an exciting time for Uncle Willie’s Wings. Opening this second location in the downtown area is an incredible milestone. I am so grateful to Onyx and the city of Newark for helping to make this happen. We look forward to continuing to bring Uncle Willie’s flavor to more people with our takeouts and our full-service restaurant coming in 2024.”
The first Uncle Willie’s Wings location is in Newark’s South Ward, at 1036 Bergen St.
“We are proud to witness Uncle Willie’s Wings open their second location here in Newark,” said Marcus Randolph, CEO and president of Invest Newark. “This expansion to The Junction exemplifies Newark’s entrepreneurial spirit, and we’re eager to see Uncle Willie’s Wings thrive. Newark is definitely open for business.”
Onyx taps Uncle Willie’s Wings to fill last restaurant space at revamped Gateway
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