Atomic Wings Sells Out Indiana with Experienced Area Developer Mike Harmon

Atomic Wings, the emerging franchise created with a mission to share authentic New York-style Buffalo wings with the world, is showing just how successful relationships with experienced developers can be after announcing that it sold out the state of Indiana with multi-brand franchisee Michael Harmon.

“Collaboration is key here,” said Zak Omar, chief executive officer of Atomic Wings. “Michael has some great ideas on what works and what doesn’t in the market from his experience, and we’re excited to work with him and expand Atomic Wings in Indiana.”

Not only is Harmon a fan of the brand, but he’s also an experienced franchisee with eight Firehouse Subs units in Indiana. An expert at marketing his businesses, Harmon is the owner of some of the brand’s top-performing locations. Harmon’s love for the brand came after seeing it on television, and as a fan of wings, he knew it was something he had to bring to the Hoosier State.

“I first saw Atomic Wings on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,” said Harmon. “I love wings, and the bit they were in caught my eye, so my wife and I flew to New York City to talk to Zak and the rest of the Atomic Wings team. After we tried the product, we were impressed– we actually fell in love with the tenders, not just the wings. We knew right away that Atomic Wings is superior to other wing brands and a premium product. From there, we looked at the model, talked to other franchisees and were sold. Because the brand is emerging, we were also able to sign on as area developers, so we knew we found the right fit in our efforts to expand our portfolio.”

Harmon partnered with Atomic Wings on a unique collaboration that will include the opening of 10 stores owned by him, and he’s currently in the process of selecting sites for his first locations. However, Harmon said he can envision opening as many as 20 Atomic Wings units in Indiana as he continues to grow the brand throughout the state. 

Harmon is aiming to open his flagship store in Greenfield, Indiana, where he grew up. “Ideally, opening this flagship store will encourage other franchisees to sign on with Atomic Wings and franchise out the remaining units,” said Harmon. “Having that flagship store makes it easier to recruit other franchisees into the brand where they can see and taste the food while getting an idea of the inner workings of the restaurants. We want to give future franchisees a place to come and be wowed by the whole experience, the same way I was.”

As Harmon expands his portfolio as a business owner, he’s also looking for ways in which he can give back to his local community. He’s currently planning a charitable initiative for Atomic Wings. 

“Community involvement is a big deal for our customers, and we know how much they appreciate it when you give back and support the community,” said Harmon. “We want to do something extra special for our grand opening that will show the community how excited we are to be there and that they can count on us to be there to support them and give back.”

Harmon is looking forward to introducing the Indianapolis market to Atomic Wings as the brand grows its national footprint.