Some Very Hands-On Research and an Undercover Delivery Gig Led Mike Tackett To Wing Zone!

Mike Tackett was not a total stranger to the restaurant industry when he decided to open his 1st  Wing Zone 20 years ago. 

For one, he’d worked in restaurants since he was a teenager. He would later go on to culinary school and become a chef. Right before he franchised with Wing Zone, he worked in high-end catering. 

He decided, though, that he was tired of working for other people. 

One Sunday morning, he picked up the newspaper and read an article about Wing Zone and how the brand was coming to Southeastern Conference (SEC) schools. Intrigued, Tackett got online and looked up the brand.  

Wing Zone got its start in 1993 when University of Florida fraternity brothers Matt Friedman and Adam Scott started making and delivering wings to students as an alternative to pizza, which was pretty much the only food available for late-night delivery at the time. The brand has since grown to nearly 100 locations. Wing Zone enthusiasts are dubbed “Flavorholics,” and the brand especially prides itself on offering 17 unique and delicious wing flavors. 

Wing Zone has also made waves as a growing franchise opportunity. In 2018 and 2019, the brand made Fast Casual’s Top 100 Movers & Shakers list. The brand touts benefits such as small footprint, smaller market growth, and low start-up costs as reasons to franchise. 

Tackett liked what he read about Wing Zone, but he needed his own validation, so he drove to a Wing Zone restaurant in Columbia, South Carolina. And then to one in Atlanta.

“I also visited one in Gainesville, Florida,” he recalled. 

His research complete, Tackett reached out to the brands CEO, Matt Friedman. After speaking with Matt, Tackett decided he was sold and wanted to go ahead and franchise with Wing Zone. 

That said, while Tackett had a great deal of restaurant experience, he knew absolutely nothing about delivery, and Wing Zone has been a delivery trailblazer ever since its inception. If Tackett was going to make Wing Zone his new career, he’d need to learn more about this particular aspect of the restaurant industry. He decided to get that experience in a very practical way: a pizza delivery job. 

That plan, while creative, slightly backfired. Tackett asked many, many questions about how the business worked at his new job, which actually gave a less-than-favorable impression. 

“They thought I was a corporate spy,” he said. 

Mike was fired, but bigger and better things were clearly on the way. 

Fast forward to the present day and Tackett owns and operates two $1M+ Wing Zone restaurants in Lexington, Kentucky, one of which is located right next to the University of Kentucky. He opened his second location with the brand nine years ago. 

According to Tackett, the key to franchise success with Wing Zone boils down to marketing and the guest experience. 

“It’s about the guest and building relationships with them,” Tackett said. “You’re part of Wing Zone and you want to be a brand ambassador and your guests are part of your business.” 

He also takes his relationships with his employees very seriously. He has 34 team members between his two locations. 

“I want to be the best person they ever worked for,” he said. 

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Tackett is also a genuine fan of the brand.

“I absolutely love the food and menu,” Tackett said. “I wouldn’t be doing it for this long if I didn’t love the brand this much.” 

According to Tackett, prospective Wing Zone franchisees should take note: This is not the right opportunity for someone who wants to be a hands-off owner. 

“It’s not for somebody who wants to just have a restaurant and not work it,” he said. “If you don’t want to make this your life and your business, then Wing Zone is not really for you. You have to be willing to make it your life and you have to be the one in charge at all times.” 

Tackett is glad he decided to franchise with Wing Zone all those years ago. He’s also glad he did as much research as he had.  

Oh, and that old boss who fired him from his pizza delivery gig? He has long-since found out the reason for Tackett’s curiosity, and the two actually keep in touch to this day. 

“We had a good laugh about it,” Tackett said. 

To learn more about franchising with Wing Zone, visit https://wingzonefranchise.com/.