News
Why sales are soaring at Wing It On
April 24, 2020
While most restaurants are facing major sales declines due to COVID-19, one Waterbury, Connecticut-based fast casual chain is thriving.
Wing It On, which opened in 2011 and has three locations and a food truck, is reporting unprecedented growth in takeout, mobile and third-party delivery sales for the weeks following the COVID-19 social distancing orders, said CEO Matt Ensero said in a press relesae. System-wide sales have increased 23% for the period of March 14 to April 17, compared to the previous year.
Corporate store sales have increased nearly 50% month-to-date for April.
The original corporate location, a 785-foot storefront in Waterbury, rang the highest ever weekly sales between April 13-19 at nearly $25,000.
"Fans are definitely adapting their behavior when it comes to dining out," Ensero said. "We expect them to be a lot pickier in deciding which restaurants to patronize. They are searching for the brands that meet their new requirements moving forward. Our easy to use digital experience, simplified menu, authentic flavors and dedication to cleanliness/food safety are the things fans are looking for."
As social distancing eases, the public will not be returning to dining rooms all at once, said Ensero, who added his team will remain on the takeout, mobile order, curbside pickup and delivery experience.
"Our mobile ordering and third-party delivery integrations make it amazingly easy for our fans to get their wing fix with less human interaction and with built-in features like contactless payment and delivery to your home or office," he said. "We've been developing these operational standards for the past two years. At this point, it is how we do business and, luckily, it has enabled us to reach new heights despite the volatile economy. We're excited about the growth prospects for our existing franchisees and new stores in the post-covid world."
Wing It On's quick response to the COVID-19 outbreak has also helped it thrive. It communicated to fans early and still does regularly through social media, email and push notifications. It also increased health and safety measures in-store, including installing plexiglass splash guards at all counters and requiring staff members to wear masks from very early on in the pandemic. All locations are in the process of adopting the use of custom tamper-proof stickers for third-party delivery orders, according to the release.
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