Fast Casual: Wing Zone Sees Record-Breaking 35% Boost in Year-Over-Year Sales

What’s the secret sauce behind restaurants that are thriving amid the pandemic? Wing Zone Founder and CEO Matt Friedman shares the three key factors to the brand’s success amid the pandemic in a recent article from Fast Casual: a business model centered around delivery, a solid franchisee support system and strong vendor partnerships.

Wing Zone, born in 1991 in Friedman’s fraternity house kitchen, has been adjusting its model as needed to be able to succeed throughout each phase of reopening. As a direct result, the brand has seen a 35 percent uptick in domestic sales this past July compared to July of last year. While many restaurants put services on pause when the pandemic hit, Wing Zone kept flying high at full force to continue serving its customers.

“Over the past few months, restaurants have been forced to transition their focus from dine-in to off-premise services,” Friedman told Fast Casual. “Wing Zone was uniquely well-positioned when it came to the delivery business model, as we've been in business for 25 years and we've been delivering food for 25 years. We have always prioritized direct delivery to customers, and during the pandemic, we reached out to local markets to promote not only free delivery but safe, contactless delivery as well.”

In an effort to help support the brand's franchisees, marketing budgets were redirected to help establish franchisees’ connections with their local communities. Promotional banners, new uniforms and hot bags that keep pickup orders warm are some of the areas where these dollars were allocated. Additionally, the brand’s pre-existing relationships with vendors eliminated the supply issues that many other restaurants faced during this time. It’s because of these 20+ year relationships with vendors that Wing Zone locations across the country didn’t face supply shortages amid the pandemic.

For Wing Zone, franchise development is always top of mind, meaning the brand was able to sign on two new franchise owners in Myrtle Beach and McAllen, Texas during the pandemic. Business is expanding rapidly, and Wing Zone is thrilled to help bring some new jobs across the country during a time when so many people are unemployed .

In spite of consistent bad news regarding business closures, it’s refreshing to see some businesses finding innovative ways to drive success.