---
title: "Atomic Wings Opens First Downstate Illinois Franchise in Champaign, IL"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/281f7c27-beb6-482c-9da7-a49d8c922280
source: "1851 Franchise"
original_url: https://1851franchise.com/news-gazette-atomic-wings-celebrates-grand-opening-in-champaign-illinois-2727508
category: "Chicken"
industry: "Restaurants"
segment: "Chicken"
topics: ["Development & multi-unit"]
published: 2024-10-01T17:12:48.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T01:05:00.489Z
image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/7b903ec12f3f5d1dac0e71c1fb3c88263665.jpg
---

# Atomic Wings Opens First Downstate Illinois Franchise in Champaign, IL

**TL;DR:** Atomic Wings has opened its first downstate Illinois franchise in Champaign, Illinois, with local franchisee Kavita Venkatesh at the helm. The brand, led by owners Ray and Zak Omar, is targeting nationwide growth in several markets across the US.

*originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2024-10-01. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/news-gazette-atomic-wings-celebrates-grand-opening-in-champaign-illinois-2727508).*

## Story

Atomic Wings is opening its first downstate Illinois franchise in Campustown, Champaign. The restaurant, which is located at 622 E. Green Street, recently celebrated its grand opening with festivities including giveaways, a DJ and more.

Owner and local franchisee Kavita Venkatesh expressed excitement for the opening. Venkatesh, whose daughter recently graduated from the University of Illinois, has a strong connection to the area and looks forward to serving the Champaign community. Venkatesh notes that business has picked up since the students returned to campus, marking a significant difference from the summer months.

"Every order is made after it's been ordered, pretty much," Venkatesh said. "So we do prep everything and we have it ready. People think we are fast food, but we are not fast food. We are just trying to get fresh food faster."

Atomic Wings was created in 1989 with a mission to share authentic New York style Buffalo wings with the world. Now, with dozens of restaurants open in the U.S.

, Atomic Wings is setting its sights on nationwide growth, targeting markets in New York, Virginia, North Carolina, Texas, Nevada, Arizona, Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, Illinois, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri and New Jersey. The brand is led by owners and brothers Ray and Zak Omar, and offers customers fresh, never-frozen natural and hormone-free chicken wings hand-tossed in 14 proprietary sauces, a welcoming dining experience and a commitment to quality.

## Entities

- 1851 Franchise (publication)
- Restaurants (sector)
- unit expansion (topic)
- franchise growth (topic)
- restaurant opening (topic)
- Atomic Wings (company)
- Zak Omar (person)
- Ray Omar (person)
- Champaign, IL (location)

---
Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/news-gazette-atomic-wings-celebrates-grand-opening-in-champaign-illinois-2727508). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/281f7c27-beb6-482c-9da7-a49d8c922280).