New York City-Based Atomic Wings to Expand Across the East Coast through Franchising

Atomic Wings **CEO Zak Omar is a born-and-raised New Yorker. He grew up in the city watching his father sell fried chicken from a mobile cart for the majority of his career. Though Zak himself started his career on Wall Street in IT sales, he and his brother eventually opened multiple Dunkin’ Donuts franchise locations together so the family could work together.

A leukemia diagnosis, however, had Omar sorting out his career goals. When the opportunity arose to purchase the brand in 2016, he liked that it was a company built in his city. Not to mention, it was an opportunity to participate in the family business of selling chicken and bring recipes developed by his father to customers.

East coast expansion

Now, seven years later, Omar is looking outside of New York to expand Atomic Wings’ footprint. His target markets to reach are predominantly located in the Northeast; more specifically, the brand is actively identifying franchisees in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut so that Omar and his team can still be as involved with the brand’s new restaurants as he is with the New York locations.

“I am pretty hands-on when it comes to our locations,” Omar told 1851. “The goal is to ensure our franchisees feel heard and supported throughout the opening process. I want to be able to visit new locations as they open their doors to provide as much help as they need.”

In its 30th year of existence, Atomic Wings has grown to 11 locations in New York and Maryland, with an additional 10 units signed in Arizona and Nevada. The small but mighty brand is widely known for its fresh, high-quality chicken wings and signature sauces. While expansion is top of mind for Omar and the corporate team, the brand is also committed to providing a signature taste and experience that customers can’t find anywhere else.

“That’s why it’s critical for us to expand more locally within the Northeast before we can think about expanding outward,” said Omar. “We pride ourselves on getting everything right with our wings, from the nitty-gritty details in our ingredients to the overall big picture of our customer-service process. Expansion shouldn’t mean that we forfeit that customer value, and our franchisees are all committed to that vision.”

Franchisee growth

Phillip Monde, a franchisee who recently opened a location in Bellerose, New York, has known Omar for years and is excited to join the franchise at the height of its growth. Monde was drawn to the brand for a number of reasons; on top of their delicious menu options, the franchise is dedicated to the causes he cares about. The ability to give back while owning a business sold him on becoming a franchisee.

“We’ve provided food for first responders, children, charities, which has helped us give back and support our communities while also being profitable,” said Monde. “I know that Zak wants to start expanding the brand and change it into a household name; I am all for it and take pride in the fact that I can be here as the franchise really starts to take off.”

Atomic Wings is on pace to enjoy continued success as the brand looks to spread the word of their delicious wings across the Northeast. Omar looks forward to expanding outwards and seeing where they can take the franchise from here.

“When my father ran a fried chicken place in the heart of Manhattan, my older brother and I used to mix flavors with all the different sauces he had in the kitchen to create our own unique flavors,” said Omar. “I like the idea that we’re spreading a taste to customers that is uniquely-New York, and it's really all thanks to him that we can provide that kind of experience.”

Startup costs to open one Atomic Wings range from $170,400 to $377,355. The initial investment to begin operation of a multi-unit development business for a required minimum of three Atomic Wings franchises is between $197,400 and $404,855. For more information about Atomic Wings, please visit