If you’re looking for a prime example of the popularity and growth of chicken wings during the pandemic, here’s one:
Italian fast-casual Fazoli’s is now selling wings at all of its restaurants, both company-owned and franchised, the chain announced Wednesday.
Fazoli’s first introduced wings at company-owned stores in September, through a virtual wing concept called WingOn (now known as Wingville).
Adding wings to the menu means also adding fryers in all kitchens, which “opens even more culinary possibilities for the brand,” the chain said in a statement.
“With the addition of fryers and the success of Wingville, Fazoli’s is exploring new opportunities to deliver more indulgent dishes to guests through other virtual concepts,” the brand said.
Chicken wings have been a runaway hit during the pandemic, with Wingstop notching double-digit growth and a variety of restaurant chains debuting virtual wing concepts.
During its early tests, Fazoli’s found a sales boost of nearly 11% at locations with wings, the company said last fall.
“Menu innovation continues to be a key ingredient in Fazoli’s recipe for success,” Fazoli’s Chief Marketing Officer Jodie Conrad said in a statement. “Delivery and drive-thru have both seen unprecedented sales growth for some time now, and we knew innovating our menu with an easily transportable product like wings would be the perfect solution to leverage this shift in ordering channels. Wings have been a big contributor to our impressive achievements over the past seven months, so we look forward to seeing this trend continue as we start serving them nationwide.”
Fazoli’s sells bone-in and boneless wings with a variety of sauces, including sweet honey BBQ, Parmesan garlic and Asian chili.
Lexington, Ky.-based Fazoli’s operates nearly 220 locations in 28 states.
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