Wing It On!, the New England based and fan-favorite wing joint known for its fresh, never-frozen, all-natural wings ’n wiches, has announced a new signed agreement with Jeff Cooper to bring another location to New Jersey. 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 year in markets throughout the country
“I have always loved chicken wings, and I was looking to take the next step in my professional career and run my own business, I naturally gravitated towards restaurants and chicken concepts. After doing my research, Wing It On! really set themselves apart from the sea of other faces in the category,” says Cooper. “I am so excited to join Wing It On! and expand this exciting brand’s footprint throughout North Jersey, a place that has been lacking standout wing joints.”
Cooper is a seasoned professional who brings a wealth of experience as a business analyst for a number of companies with him to Wing It On!. His familiarity with managing projects and solving problems in an efficient manner will play a key role in running his Wing It On! restaurant. But most importantly, he is a wing fanatic, in addition to having a passion for giving back to the local community and delivering an amazing customer experience.
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.
“This is a tentpole moment for our brand as we expand our presence in New Jersey with a passionate entrepreneur leading the way like Jeff,” says Matt Ensero, CEO and founder of Wing It On!. “I can’t wait to introduce our game changing chicken offerings to more North Jersey communities and show them what a real Buffalo-style chicken wings are all about.”
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.
As the brand continues to expand into key markets, Wing It On! is actively seeking qualified single-unit and multi-unit owners looking to invest with an emerging brand in the fast-growing chicken segment that keeps operations simple. Ideal franchisees should have business or operations experience and a passion for the restaurant industry – if you’re a wing nut, even better. Franchisees must have a minimum net worth of $400,000 and meet the minimum liquid assets requirement of $100,000.
