Wings and Rings Aims to Grow in its Home Market with New Restaurants Around Cincinnati Metro

With a little more than a dozen Wings and Rings locations in greater Cincinnati, the brand is a well-known eatery in the area. The company has seen great success with its current units in the region and is ready to add a few more franchises locally.  They also continue to look for additional corporate location in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.

Wings and Rings’ global headquarters is located in Cincinnati, as are four corporate locations, four franchisee-owned restaurants, and four non-traditional locations at the Cincinnati Reds’ stadium, Cincinnati Bengals’ stadium, FC Cincinnati’s stadium, and the University of Cincinnati. Wings and Rings uses a dense packing market philosophy, and the brand is excited to grow its presence in the region.

“It's a smart and natural decision for us to build more stores and to continue to grow in greater Cincinnati. We and our franchisees get more traction with customers and awareness when we have sizable exposure in the region,” Thomas Flaherty, Wings and Rings Chief Development Officer said. “With such a heavy presence of stores, our  operations team can work with many franchisees and corporate employees in a very compact area, and that’s really efficient.  It also makes sense from a purchasing and supply chain perspective.” 

Flaherty explained that the high concentration of Wings and Rings in the area is a huge advantage for new franchisees. Any time you have about a dozen or so stores within a 25-mile radius, it’s going to be better than one or two in an area or region. You have top-of-mind awareness and key support from corporate and other franchise owners in the area.  In addition, you have a relatively turnkey marketing campaign with pre-established brand awareness.

“A new franchisee would be contributing to marketing spend for their store, and there are many others, franchisees and corporate, contributing to marketing Wings and Rings in the area. So, on many fronts, expanding in Cincinnati is highly efficient and very beneficial for franchisees,” he added.  It’s also nice to have a broad distribution of stores in an area so everyone has access to the brand, whether at work or at home.

It is also beneficial that the area is where the company headquarters is located, Dan Doulen, Director of Franchise Development for the brand, said. “With the corporate office and support team so close, we are able to assist franchisees in the area very easily,” Doulen said.

There is also already a huge demand for the company’s delicious wings in the area, so owners can expect a solid customer base right from the start. Flaherty said that regulars are always excited when a Wings and Rings opens in their area, especially when it’s our new, beautiful prototype design.

“Our consumers are very loyal to our brand and a lot of people want there to be more locations. They don't want to drive half an hour to go to a restaurant; they want to go right down the street. Or if they’re using third party delivery, they want a closer Wings and Rings to cut down the delivery time,” Flaherty said. 

And if potential franchisees are hesitant about the investment, Wings and Rings is offering a development incentive program until the end of 2022, which brings the franchise fee down to zero, and waives royalty fees for the first six months.  That is a significant contribution to the franchisees’ store ramp-up phase. 

“We really put a lot of time and focus on ways to directly and positively impact franchisees’ investments,” said Flaherty. “We don't get too caught up in the fees as much as what we can do to help franchisees get started. Our philosophy is ‘If franchisees are successful, the franchisor is going to be successful’.”  “We think of it as ‘putting our wallet on the table’.” 

ABOUT WINGS AND RINGS

Established in 1984 in Cincinnati, Ohio, Wings and Rings is the club-level sports restaurant and bar - with chef-inspired recipes, crave-worthy wings and rings, custom-crafted cocktails, and an experience that encourages social connection. 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 where everyone can kick back, enjoy life, and champion the everyday. With more than 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, visit www.wingsandrings.com.