Bridgeport just got its first taste of Jamaica's patty king. Juici Patties has opened its first Connecticut location at the North Park Shopping Center, serving up its signature flaky pastries stuffed with seasoned beef, chicken and curry chicken to a city that previously had to look elsewhere for the real thing.
The Connecticut Scoop first reported Juici Patties' Bridgeport opening. Royal Properties, the firm that lists the North Park Shopping Center property, lists Juici Patties as a location there. The strip mall already houses Save-A-Lot along with other retailers, according to Royal Properties.
What's On the Menu
The Bridgeport shop serves beef, chicken, vegan and spicy curry chicken varieties, with beef patties available in both spicy and mild versions, per the same account. Sides round out the menu, including coco bread, fried plantains and french fries.
Juici Patties also has an Atlanta location. The chain's official site had previously marked Connecticut as a coming-soon market alongside Massachusetts, New Jersey and Texas, per Juici Patties USA.
A Jamaican Institution Expanding Stateside
The chain traces back to 1980, when its first location opened, according to MassLive. Today, Juici Patties calls itself Jamaica's largest restaurant chain, claiming more than 60 locations on the island, according to Juici Patties Jamaica. Its U.S. footprint has been growing quickly too, though the exact count depends on who's counting: the company's own site says it has more than 38 U.S. locations, while MassLive reported the chain topped 60 U.S. locations as of August, spread across New York, Florida, Georgia and Pennsylvania.
More New England Stores on the Way
Bridgeport isn't the only new market on Juici Patties' radar. The chain was also developing three Massachusetts locations in Everett, Roxbury and Brockton as of August, according to MassLive. The Roxbury store is planned for 16 Taber Street in the Nubian Square area, while the Brockton location is set for the Westgate Mall, according to the Boston Restaurant Blog.
Bridgeport's new shop gives Fairfield County its own outpost of the patty chain alongside the company's growing cluster of East Coast locations.
