ATLANTA – In a bid to gain traction with consumers and bring consistency to its domestic and international restaurants, Wing Zone revealed a rebranding campaign that includes sourcing premium chicken, menu innovations and updated interiors at the fast-casual chain’s restaurants.
Significantly, the company upgraded the quality of its food. Wing Zone will source poultry from “a more premium chicken supplier” offering meatier wings and bigger chicken tenders.
“We felt that it was important to invest in switching to a top supplier that will give us the best chicken on the market,” Wing Zone CEO Matt Friedman said in a statement. “We are incredibly proud of our famous flavors that fans keep coming back for, so we want to also make sure we’re giving customers a truly premium product.”
The timing of the brand refresh occurs as Wing Zone prepares to expand into the Philippines. The company recently signed an agreement with Viva Food Group to open 50 new Wing Zone locations over the next 10 years. A brand refresh now will provide a consistent menu and a similar look and tone to international and domestic locations.
Friedman and CFO Adam Scott started Wing Zone in the kitchen of their fraternity house in 1991 at the Univ. of Florida. Wing Zone’s current customer base includes college students, active military and young professionals, so the brand refresh and menu updates are designed to appeal to that demographic.
“When we founded Wing Zone in our fraternity house in the early 90’s, our brand was full of energy and fresh ideas,” Friedman said. “We want to bring our identity back to its roots and better align with our customer base, which is young and entrepreneurial — just like we were when we tossed our first wings in the frat house. To us, that means creating a cheeky, laid back brand persona, as well as offering the best of the best product available — which is why we’re switching to bigger tenders, better boneless, jumbo wings.”
Wing Zone currently operates nearly 100 locations across the United States. The chain has an international presence in Panama, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Malabo, Singapore and Guatemala.