Wing It On! announced a new signed agreement with Sid Kapur and Manny Parhar to bring a new location to 854 West Montauk Highway in Copiague, New York. An opening date is targeted for mid-February 2022.
This will be the first Wing It On! location in New York. The newly signed agreement represents a part of the brand’s larger growth strategy to lock in 25 to 30 additional units by the end of 2021 in target markets like New York and others along the East Coast, Southeast and Texas.
“Manny and I were drawn to Wing It On! not only because of the delicious food, but as well as the unlimited potential to grow the brand,” says Kapur, who has an experienced background in management and operations. “When the pandemic hit, we saw the need to diversify our portfolio with a brand that was pandemic-proof, and Wing It On! was the perfect match.”
Kapur and Parhar bring a wealth of restaurant and business experience with them to Wing It On!. Previously, the pair owned and operated a local clothing store and currently operate three Wetzel’s Pretzels and two Häagen-Dazs ice cream shops in New Jersey.
Wing It On! has earned a loyal fan following redefining the standards for fresh and crispy wings. With a simplified, innovative menu, fans of the brand have favored the true Buffalo-quality wing cooked and sauced or seasoned to perfection. In addition to its famous wings and boneless tenders, Wing It On! also serves a full-line up of hand-crafted crispy chicken sandwiches, sides and irresistible customizable seasoned fries. Wing It On! certified its position as a leader in the category after being the official sponsor of the 2021 U.S. Chicken Wing Eating Championship on September 5 held in the chicken wing capital of the world, Buffalo, New York. Participants, which included the likes of Miki Sudo and Joey Chestnut, were challenged to eat as many wings tossed in the brand’s authentic Medium Buffalo sauce in 12 minutes while also wearing Wing It On! branded t-shirts.
“Expanding into New York is the perfect next step in accomplishing our growth goals for this year,” says Matt Ensero, CEO and founder of Wing It On!. “We’re thrilled to welcome Sid and Manny, whose extensive experience in the restaurant industry will no doubt be an asset to us in establishing ourselves in a new state. I look forward to seeing what they’ll accomplish.”
Creating an exceptional wing experience goes back to the early 2000s when Ensero, and his friends would argue amongst themselves every football Sunday about who was driving 30-plus minutes to pick up wings from some of their favorite spots in surrounding towns. However, the distance and Styrofoam take out boxes would always result in soggy and cold wings once they got home. Ensero had enough, hence, Wing It On! was born. He opened the first Wing It On! in his hometown Waterbury, Connecticut, serving only the crispiest of wings that all true wing nuts crave.
The attractiveness of the franchise model is only enhanced with its flexible design footprint. Takeout and delivery drive nearly 90 percent of store revenues, meaning overhead is kept low with just a small portion of the restaurant reserved for dine-in. Locations can range from less than 1,000 square feet up to 1,700 square feet, with the “sweet spot” being 1,200-1,500 square foot stores.
Offering a built-in digital experience that franchisees can leverage for online ordering, a mobile app and third-party delivery integration software, the Wing It On! digital operating model fosters a low initial investment and higher sales per square foot. Wing It On! also offers a food truck franchise option to drive additional revenues.
