Wing Zone Takes Flight Overseas

Becoming popular and making money in the United States is a goal many brands work hard for, but for smaller lesser known brands, taking the plunge into overseas waters is unchartered territory. Many of these brands question question whether their company can succeed and be accepted by other nation’s inhabitants--for good reason. Unless you are the golden arches or the Colonel, your logo and product might not have the familiarity to become an immediate international success. But taking the focus overseas has played well for Atlanta-based Wing Zone because the world offers a lot more available territory than the U.S. alone. “One of the main reasons we are doing very well internationally is that it is a bigger arena,” Hair Parra, Vice President of International Development, said. “Anybody who wants to grow really quickly goes international. Large companies, like Coca Cola, have huge amounts of revenue coming from international markets.” In 2009, the brand decided they really wanted to grow, so they took their focus overseas. They have sold 32 countries in those four years, and plan to have that count up to 75 countries in the next four years. Luckily for American brands, most other markets love anything that comes from the United States, according to Parra. He cites both the Middle East and Asia as two huge expansion markets with residents who like trying new products originally from the U.S. But just because you have something that works with an American customer doesn’t mean it will directly translate with your overseas guests. There is a lot of additional homework the company has to do because variations on the successful American blueprint are inevitable. “We do all the research to make sure that before we open, we have the local adaption into the country,” Parra said. “We keep our core menu, but we do understand that we have to make changes a little bit so the locals in the country will like it. We use our main designs, same colors, same images, but Malaysia likes wood, so we try to incorporate wood into the design.” If a franchisor is considering expanding abroad, one of the most important things to consider is to make sure you find the right Master Franchisee for each country who will represent your brand and have enough cash to operate the system. “You have to make sure the person understands that they are not totally independent; they have to follow the standards, and they have to follow the rules," Parra said. Finding the right partner to carry out the right version of the brand is crucial to succeeding overseas, so the decision needs time and nurturing to become a truly engaging and respectful business partnership. Done well and thoughtfully, the expansion plans for international growth are nearly endless, as the countries available to grow in far outnumber the available U.S. territory.