Uncle Willie’s Wings is coming to The Junction at Gateway in Newark. Onyx Equities picked restaurant owner and U.S. Army veteran Walter “Willie” Green as the winner of its contest for a Newark-based restaurant to win a fully built-out space in the complex.

Green gained national attention on The Today Show and Queen Latifah for serving up to 1,000 free meals a week to food insecure folks in Newark. Now, he’ll open the second brick-and-mortar location of his chicken wing restaurant.

Green moved to Newark from Chicago in August 2019 to open Uncle Willie’s Wings. The restaurant was one of 30 entities to enter the developer’s competition created to provide a Newark-based establishment a space in the throughway that welcomes more than 75,000 weekly visitors.

“To see Walter Green go from feeding his Newark neighbors during the pandemic to thriving and winning the restaurant build out competition is an incredible joy,” said Mayor Ras Baraka in a statement. “Having Uncle Willie’s Wings here in the Gateway Center will give residents, commuters, and visitors the opportunity to experience his hospitality and his flavorful wings. We thank Walter for his service to our Newark community, congratulate him on his new restaurant, and wish him continued success.”

“Mr. Green is an incredible person with a solid business plan and most importantly who makes amazing wings,” said Matthew Flath, vice president of asset management at Onyx Equities. “We are excited to welcome him to The Junction and know that he will be a big hit with our thousands of visitors.”

Uncle Willie’s will join nine other new restaurants coming to The Junction at Gateway including Mokbar, Serafina, Brooklyn Dumpling Shop, Fresh & Co, Greek from Greece Bakery & Café, Farinella, 375˚ Chicken & Fries, The Brookdale and Chip City Cookies.