On National Chicken Wing Day, We Look at the Amazing Popularity of Wings
As we celebrate National Chicken Wing Day on July 29, it’s hard to imagine that wings once were unpopular. “If you go back to the ‘70s and ‘80s, everybody wanted breasts and thighs, and wings were more of a byproduct, a part of the chicken that no one wanted,” says Eric Slaymaker, founder and CEO of Wingers Alehouse, which, upon opening in the early 1990s, was among the first brands to prominently feature chicken wings.
The popularity of wings stems from 1964 when a large order of wings was mistakenly delivered to the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, N.Y. Teressa Bellissimo, who owned the bar with husband Frank, preferred to use chicken backs and necks for stock for her spaghetti sauce, but she was making do with the wings. One night, some pals of their son, Dominic, popped by for beers, and Dominic asked his mom to make a snack. Teressa reached for the wings.
The rest, as they say, is history (at least according to the most commonly cited version. Teressa’s husband later claimed credit for Buffalo Wings because he said he told Teressa to make them, while an unrelated Buffalonian, John Young, said his wings coated in mumbo or mambo sauce came first.)
What’s not in dispute is that Teressa’s wings debuted at Anchor Bar. Deep-fried, coated in a spicy, tangy sauce, and served with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing, Buffalo Wings flew off the menu.
The Popularity of Wings
Times have changed. “Our brand has evolved, too,” Slaymaker says. While Wingers Alehouse is well known for its fresh, bone-in wings and boneless Sticky Fingers, which come with a choice of 16 different sauces or rubs including Wingers Original Amazing Sauce, “we’re more of a craft beer-focused brand.”
Wingers Alehouse, now in some 25 locations in the Mountain West and Midwest, features 40 to 50 craft beers on tap, including regionally brewed favorites. The menu also includes a variety of burgers, pastas, Southwestern favorites, and vegetarian and gluten-free options.
“Wingers Alehouse is a lot more than just wings or Sticky Fingers or craft beers,” Slaymaker says. “Our mission statement says, ‘creating amazing experiences.’ Wingers Alehouse is a family-friendly gathering place. We want our guests to feel like they’ve had a great time. It’s the combination of the environment, the entertainment, the energy, the great drinks and great food. It’s the whole package.”
Slaymaker remembers explaining the Wingers Alehouse concept to someone who responded, “Oh, so you’re like an alehouse with a chicken problem.”
Wings Achieve Celebrity Status
Wings have been celebrated in wing throwdowns, wing festivals and Wing Bowl competitive eating challenges, since discontinued after the 127-pound, two-time winner Molly Schuyler bested her record in 2018 with 501 wings consumed in 30 minutes.
Wings even star in the YouTube talk show “Hot Ones” featuring celebrities including Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds, Jennifer Lawrence, Conan O’Brien, Serena Williams and many others sampling progressively hotter wings while sobbing, wailing and attempting to answer interview questions posed by host Sean Evans.
Social media posts by celebs also feature chicken wings, such as the Instagram post by Chrissy Teigen that garnered almost 248,000 likes. In it, a swimsuit-clad Teigen balanced a platter of wings on her bottom just beyond the reach of husband John Legend as he tried unsuccessfully to take a bite (of the wings).
Why Chicken Wings Boost Business
Slaymaker says he never imagined chicken wings becoming so popular, “and wings are here to stay now.” Here’s why:
- High Demand: The popularity of wings transcends all ages, ethnicities and genders. Why? “Because they’re so damn good!” Slaymaker says.
- Shareability: “Wings are meant to be shared, and they come with a promise of spending time with someone – friends, family, a partner, our kids,” a writer mused in a Vox article. “Maybe that’s the true magic of the chicken wing.”
- Alcohol Pairing: Salty and spicy, wings go well with beer and other alcoholic beverages, boosting sales in bars and restaurants. “If you’re going to have a platter of wings with friends, it’s kind of hard to not have a nice craft ale too,” Slaymaker says.
- Social and Sporting Events: Wings are the consummate party food, contributing to high sales during social and sporting events, such as March Madness and the Super Bowl, which is the biggest Sunday of the year for Wingers Restaurant & Alehouse, Slaymaker says. On Super Bowl Sunday 2024, Americans consumed some 1.45 billion wings, equivalent to four wings for every person in the U.S., according to the National Chicken Council. Americans’ love of football even contributed to chicken wings’ popularity, according to the council, which reports that as sports bars with multiple TVs and satellite dishes became more popular in the 1980s, wings were a great “group food and the perfect pairing with a pitcher of beer, and so the pigskin-chicken wing bond was born.”
- Delivery and Takeout Friendly: Wings travel well, maintaining quality and taste, making them a popular choice for takeout and delivery services.
- Simple Preparation and Versatility: Compared with other dishes, chicken wings are relatively simple and quick to prepare, allowing for high-volume production. They can be fried, baked or grilled, served bone-in or boneless (as in Wingers Alehouse’s Sticky Fingers), and flavored with a wide variety of sauces and seasonings to appeal to diverse tastes.
- Loyal Customer Base: People are passionate about their favorite wing spots and flavors, leading to a loyal customer base and repeat business.
- Adaptability to Trends: The wing business can easily adapt to food trends, offering new flavors or healthier preparation methods to attract health-conscious consumers.
- Franchise Opportunities: With a franchise like Wingers Alehouse, an investor has a proven business model and brand recognition.
For more information about the Wingers Alehouse franchise, visit https://wingerbros.com/franchising-opportunities/.
