A View From The Top

Wing Zone CEO on why sales are up 35%

Matt Friedman, CEO and co-founder of Wing Zone, discusses how the brand's in-demand, delivery-centric model has allowed for groundbreaking success, resulting in record-breaking YOY sales.

Matt Friedman, CEO and co-founder of Wing Zone, discusses how the brand's in-demand, delivery-centric model has allowed for groundbreaking success, resulting in record-breaking YOY sales.Provided

August 12, 2020

By Matt Friedman, CEO and co-founder of Wing Zone

While foodservice brands across several segments have been struggling during this time, at Wing Zone, we've been lucky enough to not only survive but to thrive thanks to a delivery-centric business model, an exceptional franchisee support infrastructure and strong vendor partnerships. Now, as the country slowly starts to reopen, Wing Zone has continued to pivot our model in order to succeed during the next phase and provide franchisees with a strong infrastructure. For the month of July, our domestic sales were up 35% over the same period last year, which is truly unmatched when it comes to how other brands are weathering during this time.

When the crisis first hit, businesses took different approaches in response to the unprecedented situation. While some decided to slow down and lay low, Wing Zone decided to move forward at full force.

A Strong consumer 0ffering

Over the past few months, restaurants have been forced to transition from focusing on dine-in to an emphasis on off-premise services. Wing Zone was uniquely well-positioned when it came to the delivery business model, as we've been in business for 25 years, and we've been delivering food for 25 years. We have always prioritized direct delivery to customers, and during the pandemic, we reached out to local markets to promote not only free delivery but safe, contactless delivery as well.

Domestically, our model was primarily focused on takeout and delivery already, which means our business actually increased during COVID-19. For the months of April and May, our domestic sales were up 45% over the same months last year with a 35% increase during the month of July.

Franchisee support and growth

To further support our franchise community, we sent new promotion banners to put up outside each restaurant, as well as refreshed uniforms and hot bags to show our customers and franchisees that our delivery and pickup service was operating at 100%. We took much of our marketing spend for franchise development and redirected it toward supporting established franchisees so they could really connect with their local communities during such a hard time, whether that be through new, family-centric promotions or special menu items.

In addition to new consumer offerings and promotions, Wing Zone hasn't stopped prioritizing franchise development. We recently signed on two new franchise owners, one for a traditional Wing Zone model in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and the second for a full-service Wing Zone Grill & Tap restaurant in McAllen, Texas. Franchisees across the Wing Zone system have been more engaged as we continue to support owners and communicate frequently and transparently.

This constant communication with and support of franchisees — including network-wide webinars on updates, CDC best practices and resources through the process of staying safe and sanitary — is another key component that has allowed Wing Zone to succeed throughout this period.

Continued operations and staff Support

In addition to helping franchisees, we are proud to be able to create delivery jobs nationwide, which will hopefully help some of the millions of people who may have found themselves unemployed. During such a hard time for so many people, we feel it is important to know that there are still positive business stories out there.

While many other brands in the industry are experiencing supply issues, Wing Zone has been able to efficiently and consistently deliver supplies to allstores due to long-term relationships with vendors. There is no question that supply is tight right now and is why vendor relationships are so important. We've been doing business with some of our vendors for over 20 years, so we are first in line when we need a product. We've worked very hard to ensure that franchisees can focus on daily operations and keeping customers happy.

With a simple business model, innovative services and exceptional support infrastructure, Wing Zone has helped franchisees weather the COVID-19 storm, and we are looking forward to the future.