New Menu, New Look: Charlotte-Based Cafe to Double Its Size in Next Handful of Years
Wild Wing Cafe opened its original Hilton Head location in 1990 with a simple premise: “Hot Wings. Cold Beer. Good Times.” Three decades and an additional 40 locations later — including restaurants in Charlotte’s Ayrsley and University neighborhoods — it’s safe to say the franchise has seen tremendous growth.
In 2012, Charlotte-based private equity firm Axum Capital Partners (of which former Carolina Panther Muhsin Muhammad is a partner) bought the company. In 2016, its headquarters were moved to Charlotte. Building off this momentum, the restaurant group plans to double its number of locations in the next 3-5 years, including a Rock Hill location opening in October.
In conjunction with this growth, the chain is refreshing its brand by updating the look, feel and menu of many existing restaurants. The Ayrsley location recently received a new bar, kitchen and stage. The University location, which opened in April, has both an indoor stage and an outdoor one, complete with chairs and fire pits. “If you haven’t been to Wild Wing Cafe in the last six months, you haven’t been to Wild Wing Cafe,” Chief Marketing Officer Rian Kirkman told CharlotteFive.
Each location will retain its own personality based on the surrounding community, so a Charlotte location will be more likely to celebrate the Hornets, whereas the Augusta location will cater to the golf community. Despite locations across eight states, Wild Wing Cafe is comfortably anchored in the Carolinas.
It’s also the only place you’ll find Wicked Chicken, a custom wheat ale brewed by Wicked Weed Brewing of Asheville.
Wild Wings has a new menu: For brunch, expect chicken and waffles, avocado toast and a donut burger. Courtesy of Wild Wings
REFRESHED MENU
If you head to a new or refreshed Wild Wing Cafe, expect new decor and menu items. Of course, wings remain core to the menu — “you’ll never have a reason to come by and not have wings,” Kirkman said. Yet, new offerings are sure to grab the attention of diners. For brunch, expect chicken and waffles, avocado toast and a donut burger. For lunch and dinner, you’ll find new appetizers, burgers and pizzas. New to the pizza menu is the chicken crust, which is just that — crust made of chicken; this lower carb option will appeal to many of Charlotte’s keto dieters.
The menu will soon add new shareable appetizers such as Frito pies and stuffed tots, alongside staples such as deviled eggs and chicken hushpuppies. A new kid’s menu includes wings, pizza, burgers, hot dogs and more. Fan favorites such as ribs (tossed in your choice of sauce) will remain on the menu.
“Think about the Super Bowl — you don’t have the Super Bowl without entertainment and the halftime show — Wild Wing Cafe is the one-stop shop for music, sports, food and a party,” Entertainment Director Jennifer Siebenaler told CharlotteFive. Courtesy of Wild Wings
ONE-STOP SHOP
One thing that hasn’t changed is Wild Wing Cafe’s commitment to entertainment. “Entertainment has always been part of the DNA,” Kirkman said. “We have always been a communal experience — whether it’s watching sports or listening to music.” Lowcountry legends Edwin McCain and Hootie & the Blowfish both performed at Wild Wing Cafe early in their careers. Other artists have benefitted from a local Wild Wing Cafe audience when getting started, including Charlotte’s own DaBaby.
“Think about the Super Bowl — you don’t have the Super Bowl without entertainment and the halftime show — Wild Wing Cafe is the one-stop shop for music, sports, food and a party,” Entertainment Director Jennifer Siebenaler said. That’s right — how many restaurants have a Director of Entertainment? Although they sometimes play host to comedians, dancers, and dinner theater actors, Wild Wing Cafe’s stages most regularly host musicians.
“We like the fact that we have a full stage — we’re dedicated to making it the presence, not an afterthought,” Kirkman said. For the business’ 18 corporate-owned locations, Siebenaler books performers and manages the entertainment calendars. “Each restaurant can have a wide array of acts — from solo guy to live band — it depends what’s going on,” Siebenaler said.
Siebenaler herself is no stranger to the entertainment industry, having performed the national anthem at the Panthers’ recent game against the Steelers.
Soon, several locations will restart their “Friday Night Lights” series with live music every Friday night. Next time you head to a Wild Wing Cafe, be sure to give the musician(s) some of your attention between bites. Who knows, you might just see the next Luke Combs or Zac Brown Band launching a career before your eyes.
Ayrsley location: 2132 Ayrsley Town Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28273
Gastonia location: 3638 E. Franklin Blvd., Gastonia, NC 28056
University City location: 8760 J M Keynes Drive, Charlotte, NC 28262