Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux is adding bone-in wings to its menu for the first time as it bids for a piece of the fast-growing chicken wing market.
The nearly 100-unit chain offers boneless wings. But until now it had never served the bone-in variety that is a staple at sports bars.
The wings will come in three varieties—Buffalo, Sweet Chili and Lemon Pepper Dry Rub—in servings of eight or twelve. A special fourth flavor, Louisiana Kick, will be available at Walk-On’s Dallas restaurants as part of a collaboration with franchisee Dak Prescott, quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys.
The wings are part of a flurry of new wing launches in the run-up to football season. Earlier this week, Popeyes unveiled a new flavor of chicken wings tied to the start of football, and last week, Chili’s announced it was adding wings from its virtual brand, It’s Just Wings, to the permanent menu as it looks to become a gameday destination.
And they arrive at a time of growth and change for the 20-year-old Walk-On's. The Baton Rouge, La.-based chain is expanding rapidly, with 12 units opened last year and dozens more in development, and believes it can one day have more than 500 restaurants.
It has also had three different CEOs since the beginning of the year, when co-founder and former CEO Brandon Landry passed the torch to longtime COO Scott Taylor. Then in June, Taylor was replaced by Chris Dawson, a former executive with auto services company Driven Brands.
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