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In Lukewarm Industry, Chicken Wing Chains Stay Hot
Advertising Age ^ | 09/13/10 | Keri Lynch

Posted on 09/15/2010 3:00:39 AM PDT by Brugmansian

Even with relatively modest marketing spending, the product that was once a cast-off of little value is flying high . . .

In casual dining, five wing-focused chains posted double-digit sales gains in 2009, according to Technomic, ranging from 12.5% at Wild Wing Café to 21.7% at Buffalo Wild Wings and 40% at Buffalo Wings & Rings. Only two of the seven chains it tracked declined in 2009: Hooters, down 4.9%, and Ker's Winghouse Bar & Grill, down 14.1%.

By comparison, Applebee's was down 2.1%, Chili's decreased 4.8%, Champps was down 6.2%, T.G.I. Friday's dropped 6.4%, and ESPN Zone fell 13.1%, according to Technomic.

Two quick-service wing winners were Wingstop, a then-433-unit chain based near Dallas, with a 20% jump in sales for 2009, and Wing Zone, an Atlanta-based chain with 65 units that bumped sales up 6.2%. By contrast, KFC sales dropped 5.8%, Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen was flat at 0.3%, and Church's Chicken was up 1.6% vs. 2008 . . .

(Excerpt) Read more at adage.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS:
The Obama Economy. Next stop: chicken feet, gizzard and scrapple chains.
1 posted on 09/15/2010 3:00:41 AM PDT by Brugmansian
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To: Brugmansian

gawdddddddd I love wings. It’s 5am as I post this and I could eat wings for breakfast.


2 posted on 09/15/2010 3:18:41 AM PDT by Artemis Webb (Barbour 2012)
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To: Brugmansian

Buffalo Wild Wings is pretty good.
I never understood the attraction at Hooters. Their wings suck and to top it off, the couple of times I’ve been there with other people, there were no hooters worth looking at.


3 posted on 09/15/2010 3:27:24 AM PDT by caver (Obama: Home of the Whopper)
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To: Brugmansian
It isn't all Chicken Wings that makes these establishments recession resistant - it is the beer and other alcohol that most people consume along with these.

Alcohol, cigarettes, gasoline......these are things are known in economics as being "Elastic" - meaning people still consume them, no matter what.

Guess what also? That is why politicians like to TAX these same commodities.

Tax luxuary yachts (as they did in 1989), and the boat industry dies.

Tax beer? People still drink during recessions, perhaps even more.

Wings are very cheap for the restaurants to buy, they used to be a "throwaway" item in butcher shops.

4 posted on 09/15/2010 3:31:32 AM PDT by SkyPilot
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To: Brugmansian

This just in!!! Hooters need out support! Film at 11!


5 posted on 09/15/2010 3:55:35 AM PDT by BigCinBigD (Northern flags in South winds flutter...)
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To: Brugmansian
I just don't understand the attraction some folks have for the scrawny arm-bones of a chicken when there are much meatier parts available.

-----

They seem to be a lot like having a bad, lazy lover. Too much work for too little reward.

6 posted on 09/15/2010 4:26:36 AM PDT by MamaTexan (I am ~person~ as created by the Law of Nature, not an 'entity' as created by the laws of man.)
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To: All

7 posted on 09/15/2010 4:29:33 AM PDT by Liz
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To: Brugmansian

Gotta love those wings! Now with the football season here, there are going to be a lot more visits to our favorite bar for those beauties.


8 posted on 09/15/2010 4:32:36 AM PDT by Trust but Verify
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To: Artemis Webb

I can eat wings or any other part of the chicken three times a day.


9 posted on 09/15/2010 6:26:12 AM PDT by rdl6989 (January 20, 2013- The end of an error.)
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To: caver
I never understood the attraction at Hooters. Their wings suck and to top it off, the couple of times I’ve been there with other people, there were no hooters worth looking at.

It varies a lot by location. I'd say San Ramon / Dublin, CA is a solid D any shift of the week, but Fremont and Campbell, 30 miles away, are B+ at best.

10 posted on 09/15/2010 6:52:13 AM PDT by jiggyboy (Ten per cent of poll respondents are either lying or insane)
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To: Brugmansian

That reminds me that it’s 50c a wing on Wednesdays at Wing Zone (Pizza Hut).


11 posted on 09/15/2010 6:53:33 AM PDT by jiggyboy (Ten per cent of poll respondents are either lying or insane)
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To: jiggyboy

“It varies a lot by location. I’d say San Ramon / Dublin, CA is a solid D any shift of the week, but Fremont and Campbell, 30 miles away, are B+ at best.”

Ha! The only ones I’ve been in are in Indiana in larger cities. It’s not like all our corn fed women are ugly!


12 posted on 09/15/2010 7:05:45 AM PDT by caver (Obama: Home of the Whopper)
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