Atomic Wings Debuts in Fairview Heights

Atomic Wings opened its first St. Louis-area location on Father’s Day, June 15, at 6100 N. Illinois St. in Fairview Heights, according to a recent article. This marks the start of a broader expansion plan for the New York-based chicken wing franchise, which currently has 29 open locations and eight more on the way.

The Fairview Heights store was launched by Chris and Evelyn Steinacher, franchisees from Troy, Illinois, who also own two Firehouse Subs locations in the area. Wanting to grow beyond their current franchise but unable to expand further with Firehouse due to territory restrictions, the couple chose Atomic Wings after learning about the brand from Mike Domico — the company’s VP of Development and a partner in the Fairview Heights location. Domico has signed a 10-unit deal to bring Atomic Wings across Missouri.

The Steinachers picked Fairview Heights due to its high traffic, shopping destinations, and workforce density. The restaurant will start with 20 to 25 employees, likely leveling off to around 15 to 20 post-opening.

Atomic Wings prides itself on “fresh, never frozen” chicken, with a menu that includes wings, tenders, sandwiches, flatbreads, and sides like waffle fries. A standout menu item during test runs has been deep-fried Oreos. The restaurant will also serve beer on draft. The new store is located in a former CherryBerry yogurt shop in the Lincoln Place shopping plaza.