Article

5 fast casuals scoring big on Super Bowl Sunday

Wings and pizza are the undisputed rulers of Super Bowl food, but that doesn't mean other concepts can't play.

February 1, 2019 by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Wings and pizza are the undisputed rulers of Super Bowl food, which is why brands like Wing Zone and Toppers Pizza are gearing up for the big game Sunday pitting the Los Angeles Rams against the New England Patriots.

Wing Zone, which has sold over 25 million wings on Super Bowl Sundays, projects that it will do five to 10 times the business of a regular Sunday.

"I love the term 'homegating;' I know it's been thrown out there a lot, but it is true that a large percentage of people prefer to host or watch the Super Bowl at home," CEO Matt Friedman said in an interview with FastCasual. "In those 25 years, we've learned how to best package up our wings and deliver them conveniently to the door. Wings are the ultimate sharing food with friends and family and pair great with your favorite beverage."

In heavy NFL markets like New York City and Los Angeles, Wing Stop expects to see volumes in excess of $20,000 in one-day per restaurant. The bulk of those sales will come in the three-hour window before kickoff and about 50 percent of business comes from pre-orders one to seven days prior, Friedman said.

Based on last year's Super Bowl sales, Toppers Pizza is ready for some action as well. It saw a 50 percent increase on Super Bowl Sunday in 2018, compared to an average Sunday. The chain also sold more than 13,000 pizzas during the last Super Bowl and more than 6,000 orders of Topperstix.

"We have fun toppings and our world famous Topperstix. The diversity of our menu offers something for everyone, no matter what their taste is," Colleen Glendinning, Toppers Pizza director of social media and public relations, said in an interview with FastCasual. "You can get a variety of high-quality food that can satisfy everyone who is gathering together to watch the Super Bowl."

More than pizza and wings?

While pizza and wings may be the most popular Super Bowl food, that fact isn't stopping a few other brands from getting in the game.

Super Bowl Sunday has been the busiest day of the year for New York's Mighty Quinn's Barbeque, and the bulk of orders is from takeout and catering orders, said co-founder Hugh Magnum. Sales in comparison to a normal Sunday is about 2 to 2.5 times busier on Super Bowl Sunday.

"When you're watching the Super Bowl with a bunch of friends, the last thing that comes to mind is holding a fork and knife," Magnum, said. "Whether it's our wings or ribs, corn fritters or fries, it's a food in one hand, drink in the other situation. In fact, throw in our brisket or pulled pork and you're still winning."

The 15-unit has also launched a delivery-only concept, Sugar Wing, and is planning to have up to 3 times the business as a usual Sunday.

"Forks are optional but certainly not required," Magnum said. "Lastly, our food is meant to be shared; it's easy to put a tray out and just eat, no portioning required. Grab a few wings, a couple of ribs, hang with your peeps and enjoy the game."

Famous Dave's BBQ is another barbecue joint that sees huge sales increases during the Super Bowl. It's the chain's fourth-busiest day of the year, and the 151-unit chain expects to sell 200,000 wings, 25,000 slabs of ribs and 30,000 muffins. In 2018, the company saw a 10 percent bump in sales over the previous year and a 50 percent increase in sales over a typical Sunday, Geovannie Concepcion, COO of Famous Dave's, said in an interview with FastCasual.

"We call the Super Bowl our To Go Bow," he said. "Guests love our wings, BBQ feasts and Game Day samplers because they are ready to hit the table for the big game." 

Super Bowl LII was the biggest sales day in Philly Pretzel Factory's 20-year history, thanks to the Philadelphia Eagles playing in the Super Bowl. That day averaged six times the sales of an average Sunday, but just because the Eagles are out of it this year, doesn't mean the chain will sit the bench, said Tom Monaghan, Philly Pretzel Factory CDO.

"People associate soft pretzels with festive activities like sporting events," he said during an interview with FastCasual. "Soft pretzels are an easy-to-eat, hand-held snack that appeals to every age group. You don't need a plate or a fork and knife to enjoy them."

Regardless of which teams played during the game, Super Bowl Sunday over the past 10 years has consistently been one of the Top 5 days in both sales and transactions at Philly Pretzel Factory. For Super Bowl LI, the company saw four times the sales of an average Sunday and expects to see similar numbers this year. 

"A pretzel can be made in fun sizes and shapes, and they take additional toppings like mustards, sweet dips and cheese so everyone can customize their pretzel without fuss and without creating a mess," Monaghan said. "We believe that soft pretzels make every gathering better."

Cover photo: iStock


 

About Cherryh Cansler

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Cherryh Cansler is VP of Events for Networld Media Group and publisher of FastCasual.com. She has been covering the restaurant industry since 2012. Her byline has appeared in Forbes, The Kansas City Star and American Fitness magazine, among many others.

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