Wing Zone Takes Flight in Raleigh

Wing Zone is expanding to North Carolina with the grand opening of a Wing Zone in Raleigh. The new Wing Zone is located at 2020 Hillsborough Street, across from the Bell Tower at North Carolina State University. Other tenants in the center include Great Buy Clothing and the Cream and Bean.

Partners Chris Barrett and Mark Ward have relocated to Raleigh to open the new Wing Zone. Barrett, 29, formerly worked in Wing Zone's first corporate store in Gainesville, Florida. Ward 28, was the first Wing Zone franchisee in Columbia, South Carolina, opening that location almost two years ago.

Wing Zone's menu offers 25 unique flavors of Jumbo Buffalo Wings, including favorites such as nuclear, honey and garlic, lemon pepper, cajun, mesquite, garlic parmesan, spicy BBQ, honey mustard, ranch, and nuclear honey teriyaki.

In addition to wings, Wing Zone offers salads, grilled sandwiches, and a variety of appetizers such as stuffed shrimp with crab meat, jalapeno poppers, mozzarella sticks, battered mushroons, onion rings, and garlic butter bread sticks.

Founded in 1991 at the Universiry of Florida by two college students working from their fraternity house kitchen, the Wing Zone organization has grown to 16 locations.

Wing Zone won the "Hottest Flavor" award during Wing Fest '99, in Tallahassee, Florida, one of the south's largest festivals devoted to chicken wings.

Wing Zone stores currently operate in Mobile, Alabama; Tuscaloosa, Alabama; Gainesville, Florida; Talahassee, Florida; Athens, Georgia; Atlanta, Georgia; Marietta, Georgia; Lexington, Kentucky; Starkville, Mississippi; Las Vegas, Nevada; Raleigh, North Carolina; Charleston, South Carolina; Columbia, South Carolina; and Austin, Texas. The franchise will have 17 locations by the end of 2000.