Wings and Rings

Chicken wing prices are soaring and that&rsquo;s causing some headaches for franchise concepts centered around the popular football season dish. In fact, according to BMO Capital Markets, as of the middle of September, chicken wing prices were at an average of $2.22 which represents a 30% increase over the same time last year. This follows decades of increased value being placed on the wing, a part of the chicken that was largely seen as a throwaway item for years before wings started gaining popularity when peppery hot sauce was added for the first time back in 1964 at a restaurant in Buffalo. This growing popularity can pose a struggle for farmers to keep up with demand from American wing lovers, and that leads to periodic shortages like this one.

Cincinnati-based elevated sports restaurant franchise <a href="http://ownabuffalo.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=buffalo-wings-rings-manages-soaring-wing-prices-2704476" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Buffalo Wings &amp; Rings</a> has been in business for more than three decades and understands the ebbs and flows of chicken wing prices and their impact on franchisees. So, they were prepared.

&ldquo;We have been through these cycles many times and have learned and refined our approach to adjust for them,&quot; said Philip Schram, Chief Development Officer for Buffalo Wings &amp; Rings. &quot;At the same time, everyone in the industry is impacted in the same manner when there are price fluctuations like this. So, it&rsquo;s a level playing field.&rdquo;

Schram, and the other members of the executive team for the 75+ unit global franchise concept, put a plan in place to modernize and elevate the restaurant chain&rsquo;s experience over the course of the last dozen years. Part of this elevation included a heavy focus on crafting and curating a menu with a broader variety and an elevated take on chicken wings beyond those found at typical &ldquo;man cave&rdquo; sports bars as well as featuring excellent alternative dishes at a lower food cost. By investing time, effort and creativity on a strategy to enhance the quality of not just the wings, but all items on the <a href="https://buffalowingsandrings.1851franchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=buffalo-wings-rings-manages-soaring-wing-prices-2704476" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Buffalo Wings &amp; Rings</a> menu, the company set itself up to weather short term wing cost fluctuations that impact restaurants selling lower quality wings at a lower price point.

&quot;The wing price increase validates what we&#39;ve been doing over the last several years,&rdquo; said Dan Doulen, Director of Franchise Development for Buffalo Wings &amp; Rings. &ldquo;We know that chicken wings are what a lot of people come to us for, but it validates us in the fact that we&rsquo;ve made strides to ensure our food quality is at a higher level. We saw it coming, and we strategically put effort and R&amp;D behind an overall menu elevation.&rdquo;

However, the company isn&rsquo;t resting and patting themselves on their collective back.

After the initial news of a chicken wing shortage, Buffalo Wings &amp; Rings CEO Nader Masadeh gathered the troops and created a &ldquo;chicken wing task force&rdquo; in order to develop solutions to account for the increased commodity cost. The group focused on making sure that the impact was felt minimally by the franchisees operating BW&amp;R locations across the U.S.

The task force consists of a handful of the executive team members working hand-in-hand with a select group of franchisees, partners and suppliers.

&ldquo;We are currently exploring everything from menu engineering, to pricing initiatives, and different approaches to food costs,&rdquo; said Masadeh. &ldquo;We are doing a&nbsp;boneless&nbsp;wing promotion called &lsquo;We Double Dip Dare You&rsquo; where we are training servers to &lsquo;dare&rsquo; those who order wings to try our boneless&nbsp;wings and receive a menu item for free as an incentive for the guest.&rdquo;

The company is also structuring a contest throughout their system with rewards for restaurants that sell the most&nbsp;boneless&nbsp;wings.&nbsp;Additionally, the corporate team has been busy at work, negotiating to procure better pricing on other menu items &ndash; already establishing some lower food costs in order to offset the high cost of wings.

Masadeh and the Buffalo Wings &amp; Rings team are approaching these as short-term strategies and believe the groundwork of quality across the entire menu sets the company up for sustainable, consistent success. Masadeh noted that traditional wing eaters are simply not going to switch to&nbsp;boneless&nbsp;in droves. With that in mind, he believes the company&rsquo;s long-term strategic approach turns this price fluctuation into an opportunity to promote other menu offerings in order to steal market share from competitors who are less focused on wings.

&ldquo;We have so many incredible menu options that we are proud of but probably don&#39;t get credit for with casual restaurant goers,&rdquo; said Masadeh. &ldquo;This shift in pricing will likely push some other restaurants out of the wing space who only dabble in wings as a side item. This presents an opportunity for us to shine a light on the amazing elevated menu we offer, and win over some new fans with our full menu of innovation, variety and flavor.&rdquo;

Buffalo Wings & Rings Manages Soaring Wing Prices

1851 Franchise

How Buffalo Wings & Rings prepared for surging chicken wing prices and is proactively addressing them

This brand page has been paid for by WINGS AND RINGS. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

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Wings and Rings Rolls Out New Seasonal Sips, Menu Items and Holiday Gift Card Bonuses for Winter Limited-Time Offer

Wings and Rings Brings Back Sam Adams Beer Cheese for Big Game Flavor and a Free Wings Giveaway

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CINCINNATI, Ohio —&nbsp;With the Big Game right around the corner,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wingsandrings.com/">Wings and Rings</a>, the club-level sports restaurant and bar franchise with 85 locations worldwide, is giving guests even more reasons to gather with the return of Sam Adams beer cheese as part of its Crafted Classics menu. Guests who have downloaded the Wings and Rings app can score five free wings through the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wingsandrings.com/super-offer">Big Game giveaway</a> when the Big Game kicks off (February 8), redeemable in-restaurant from February 9–13, a winning play without ever leaving the couch.Available January 28 through April 26, 2026, the Crafted Classics menu delivers generous portions and craveable, comfort-forward flavors made for watching the Big Game, sharing with friends or enjoying a relaxed family meal.A longtime guest favorite, Sam Adams beer cheese is back across the Crafted Classics menu, bringing bold, familiar flavor to the dishes guests already love. The lineup leans into familiar favorites that pair easily with wings, burgers and cold drinks, just in time for football’s biggest moments. Pricing stays in line with Wings and Rings’ everyday offerings, with portion options that make it easy to order for groups or individuals.“Sam Adams beer cheese is comfort food with personality,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-admire-cec-195b2066/">Dan Admire</a>, Corporate Executive Chef and culinary innovator for Wings and Rings. “It’s bold, shareable and made for moments when the table’s full, the game’s on and everyone wants something they’ll keep coming back for.”The Crafted Classics menu includes:<ul><li>Sam’s Beer Cheese Loaded Fries or Chips: Fries or Saratoga chips topped with house-made Sam Adams beer cheese, bacon, scallions and bleu cheese crumbles.</li><li>Beer Cheese Chicken Sandwich: A crispy, beer-battered chicken breast with smoked bacon, Sam Adams beer cheese, caramelized onions, lettuce and tomato on a brioche bun, served with a choice of side.</li><li>Beer Cheese Jumbo Tenders: Beer-battered chicken tenders served with beer cheese dipping sauce and fries, available in three and four-piece options.</li></ul>From the bar, guests can enjoy drinks that pair perfectly with game-day food, including Sam Adams Boston Lager, along with the Sunday Sunrise Sangria and Red Berry Sangria.With craveable flavors, shareable portions, and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wingsandrings.com/super-offer">Big Game giveaway</a>, Wings and Rings makes it easy for fans to celebrate every touchdown, cheer with friends, and enjoy the ultimate game-day experience.To find a Wings and Rings near you, visit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wingsandrings.com">https://www.wingsandrings.com</a>.ABOUT WINGS AND RINGSEstablished in 1984 in Cincinnati, Ohio, Wings and Rings is THE club-level sports restaurant and bar with Craveworthy Wings and Rings, My Place Service and a Club-Level Ambiance, all to encourage social connections. Whether it’s enjoying a bit of banter, catching up over the game, finding new craft beer favorites, or celebrating a big win, Wings and Rings is the place where everyone can kick back, enjoy life, and champion everyday moments. With 85 units across the globe, Wings and Rings is changing the sports restaurant category, making elevated food and beverage experiences accessible to all fans. For more information, please visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wingsandrings.com">www.WingsandRings.com</a> and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ownwingsandrings.com">www.OwnWingsandRings.com</a>.&nbsp;

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Buffalo Wings & Rings Manages Soaring Wing Prices

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