Artichoke Basille’s Pizza is practically a household name in New York and has been ever since first cousins Francis Garcia and Sal Basile opened their tiny shop in Manhattan’s East Village in 2008. But there’s nothing tiny about the operation today.

Artichoke’s third New Jersey location is set to open near the heart of the Rutgers University campus in New Brunswick at the end of the month. That brings the total number of stores to 16 in four states, including New York, California and Arizona.

After wowing New Yorkers with their distinctive take on the pizza pie, Garcia and Basille went on to become Cooking Channel stars, appearing in Pizza Masters and Pizza Cuz. They were also featured on PMQ’s cover in the January/February 2018 issue. More recently, Basile went solo with Sally Boy’s in Red Bank, New Jersey.

Related: All choked up: How two East Village pizza guys became Cooking Channel stars

Artichoke Basille’s, meanwhile, keeps growing and thriving. The Rutgers store opens on Wednesday, August 30, at 140 Easton Avenue. For the grand opening, 10% of the day’s sales will be donated to the Rutgers University Foundation in support of the Scarlet Promise Grants program, which helps students in need of financial aid fulfill their potential.

Premal and Leela Shanghvi are the franchisees behind the newest location, but they’re not new to the Artichoke family.

“We opened our first New Jersey location in Hoboken back in 2019, and it’s been a blessing to now open a third location in such a great spot for students and the New Brunswick community,” Premal Shanghvi said. “We discovered Artichoke back in 2017 as guests waiting for a slice of pizza on a cold night. We were drawn to the charm and the simplicity of the menu and, before we knew it, we applied and became the first franchisee in New Jersey!”

Premal said he’s a graduate of Rutgers himself and is excited to be back at his alma mater. “We’re both confident that the students will fall in love with the Artichoke Pie, and we can’t wait to share an authentic ‘taste of New York’ with the community.”

The 1,000 square-foot restaurant will feature the New York-inspired interior design that Artichoke locations are known for, along with countertop seating and bar stools to accommodate the casual atmosphere of the Rutgers campus. Classic NYC Artichoke location design elements, including mosaic floor tiles and an antique tin ceiling, will transport customers back to Artichoke’s original East Village location and add to the authenticity of the New Jersey establishment.

Artichoke is known for its oversized slices and whole pies, include specialties like the namesake Artichoke Pie (cream sauce, artichoke hearts, spinach, mozzarella and Pecorino Romano) and the Crab Pie (crab sauce, panko-breaded Surimi crab meat and fresh mozz).

Artichoke Basille’s Pizza has been featured on The Tonight Show, Rachael Ray, Late Night with Seth Meyers and The Chew. It’s also garnered coverage from The New York Times, The New York Post, New York Magazine, and US Magazine and earned praise from celebrities like Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lopez, Ed Sheeran, Shawn Mendes and even Keith Richards. Yes, that Keith Richards.