1851

Founded in 1991 at the University of Florida by self-proclaimed &ldquo;Flavorholics&rdquo; Matt Friedman and Adam Scott, <a href="http://wingzone.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=wing-zone-looks-toward-charlotte-north-carolina-for-franchise-expansion-2710735" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wing Zone</a> grew first and foremost out of their love of great wings and amazing flavors. The franchise was born in their fraternity house kitchen, and the concept quickly flourished through delivery to their fellow college students.

After opening several more Wing Zone locations in college markets across the country, Scott and Friedman began offering franchises in 2000. With nearly 100 locations across the U.S. and growing, the company has mapped out more than 50 cities around the Southeast that are predicted to support explosive franchise growth. Currently, Wing Zone has set its sights on Charlotte, North Carolina.

With one successful Wing Zone already open in Charlotte, Founder and CEO Matt Friedman is confident that the market shows great growth potential. All of Wing Zone&rsquo;s growth this year is slated for already established markets as the brand transitions into focusing primarily on key proven areas.

&ldquo;Many of our North Carolina restaurants are top performers,&rdquo; said Friedman. &ldquo;In terms of fast-casual wing delivery, Charlotte has not proven to be a competitive market for our specific category. It offers an excellent opportunity for more successful Wing Zone locations.&rdquo;

Wing Zone restaurants have been most successful in markets that are oftentimes overlooked, said Friedman.

&ldquo;Everyone rushes to the metropolitan cities, but they forget that there&#39;s so much competition there,&rdquo; he said.

Overall, Wing Zone thrives in mid-tier markets where the franchise is able to dominate without hundreds of competitive restaurants vying for the business of its customers. Friedman is quick to point out that Wing Zone is not a sports bar, which means restaurants such as Buffalo Wild Wings are not a competitor.

&ldquo;When we go into a market, it&rsquo;s because that market is new, innovative and something our future customers can get excited about,&rdquo; said Friedman.

Charlotte matches the size of many of Wing Zone&rsquo;s most lucrative locations. &ldquo;Our ideal market has a population of around fifty or sixty thousand,&rdquo; said Friedman. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve narrowed down the core areas in this range and Charlotte matches the profile.&rdquo;

In addition to a non-competitive market and ideal size, Charlotte also falls perfectly in line with Wing Zone&rsquo;s target consumer. Home to several colleges and universities, including the University of North Carolina Charlotte, the area is undoubtedly a college-friendly one, and according to Friedman, the younger demographic has proven to be one of Wing Zone&rsquo;s biggest customer bases. Along with its students, the middle-income families of the greater Charlotte area also fit the franchise&rsquo;s usual blue-collar, dual-income consumer profile.

Beyond the consumer, the company is confident that Charlotte&rsquo;s mid-range market will also draw a range of ideal franchisees. The company is interested in both large, multi-unit entrepreneurs looking to dominate the smaller market and local franchisees who are looking to open one or two locations with a full-time focus. Wing Zone offers optimal options for these smaller market franchisees in every way..

&ldquo;If a high profile Wing Zone location adopts full-time third-party delivery they have around ten employees,&ldquo; said Friedman. &ldquo;With their own delivery, it adds another five to 10 employees. In some of our older restaurants, we have dance floors in the kitchens because they&rsquo;re so big. Now, we&rsquo;ve been able to make our model smaller with more seats and an efficient kitchen.&rdquo;

&ldquo;We are able to make an investment a lot more attractive,&rdquo; added COO Hair Parra. &ldquo;With our more efficient layout, an 800 square-foot restaurant is able to generate the same amount of sales as one measuring 1,600 square feet.&rdquo;

The company has done extensive research in order to determine Charlotte&rsquo;s market capacity. In order to avoid over saturation, Friedman predicts a capacity of eight to 10 new Wing Zone locations, with only two or three needed for developing a market.

&ldquo;Wing Zone is in major growth mode,&rdquo; said Friedman. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re investing heavily in our restaurants and bringing new franchisees to the system. Through that mentality of targeted growth and discipline, we will be able to get to mass scale in the next several years. We&rsquo;re truly ready for it.&rdquo;

&nbsp;

The overall investment for a Wing Zone franchise is around $250,000 with a $25,000 franchise fee. Prospective franchisees can get into a proven franchise model for as little as $50,000 down.&nbsp; With average restaurant sales of $750,000+, the ratio of sales to investment leaves Wing Zone franchisees as satisfied as their Flavorholic consumers.&nbsp;For more information, please visit <a href="https://wingzonefranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=wing-zone-looks-toward-charlotte-north-carolina-for-franchise-expansion-2710735" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://wingzonefranchise.com</a>.

&nbsp;

Wing Zone Looks Toward Charlotte, North Carolina for Franchise Expansion

1851 Franchise

The Queen City has been recognized as one of the wing-delivery franchise’s potential growth markets due to ideal conditions. 

This brand page has been paid for by 1851. 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

wing-zone-looks-toward-charlotte-north-carolina-for-franchise-expansion

Fresh Coat

Photo of Fresh Coat vehicle with ladders on top

The Rise of Home Improvement Franchises: Why Now Is the Time to Invest

why-invest-home-improvement-franchise-fresh-coat

HomeTeam Inspection Service

Photo of HomeTeam inspector in red polo and khaki pants, walking by branded vehicle

Real Estate Today: Behind the Drywall: The Truth About Home Inspections

purpose-of-home-inspection

Dog Training Elite

Dog Training Elite Franchise - DTE - National Service Dog Month - 1851 Franchise

Celebrating Service Dogs: Why Proper Training Changes Lives — And How Dog Training Elite Is Leading the Way

dog-training-elite-national-service-dog-month

Senior Care Authority

How This Senior Care Authority Franchisee Turned Love for His Grandparents Into a Lifelong Calling

how-this-senior-care-authority-franchisee-turned-love-for-his-grandparents-into-a-lifelong-calling

Hometown News: Like Father, Like Son — Family-Run Inspection Business Blends Generations of Expertise and a Keen Eye for Detail

father-son-home-inspection-franchise-florida

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

Design with American and Federal Reserve flags against light blue background

Federal Reserve Expected To Cut Rates by Quarter Point, a Move That Could Boost Franchise Growth

fed-rate-cut-boosts-franchise-growth

Potbelly to be Acquired by RaceTrac in $566 Million Deal 

racetrac-acquires-potbelly-in-566-million-deal

Health Care Hiring Slowdown Highlights In-Home Care Franchise Opportunities - 1851 Franchise Agg

Health Care Hiring Slowdown Highlights In-Home Care Franchise Opportunities 

health-care-hiring-slowdown-in-home-care-franchise-opportunities

Caribou Coffee Names Scott Kennedy CEO, Eyes Continued Growth

caribou-coffee-names-scott-kennedy-ceo-eyes-continued-growth

McDonald’s Launches New Extra Value Meals as Consumer Demand for Value Continues to Climb

mcdonalds-launches-extra-value-meals

1851 Franchise Deep Dive graphic with Sparkle Squad logo

Sparkle Squad Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

franchise-deep-dive-sparkle-squad-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data

graphic image of a financial deep dive of americas swimming pools co.

America’s Swimming Pool Company Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

americas-swimming-pool-asp-franchise-deep-dive

image of The Cleaning Authority Franchise Deep Dive Article financial investment details

The Cleaning Authority Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

the-cleaning-authority-franchise-deep-dive

Jollibee -Launch-Story-Brand-Page-Deep-Dive-2025

Jollibee Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

jollibee-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data-for-2025

Hely and Hiral Patel Bring Their Longtime Dream to Life With The Brass Tap

brass-tap-franchise-pasadena-maryland-hely-hiral-patel

1851 Keyword - The Secret To Succeeding With a Part-Time Franchise Is Picking the Right Model

The Secret To Succeeding With a Part-Time Franchise Is Picking the Right Model

part-time-franchises-picking-the-right-model

Franchisee spotlight graphic with photo of Ricki Oberoi and Layne's Chicken Fingers logo

Wing Zone Looks Toward Charlotte, North Carolina for Franchise Expansion

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS