Joe DEustachio Essays (679 words) - Food And Drink, Poultry

Joe D'Eustachio Management Theories and Practices Current Topic Report #1 Chicken Wings and Football Chicken wings are everywhere these days. Just about anywhere you go to eat, chicken wings are on the menu. But what happens in the month of September that causes chicken wing purchases to increase? The answer is simple: football. Easy to eat while watching a game, wings have become a staple in the restaurant/football world. During the month of September, when the NFL begins its season, people race to bars and restaurants to get wings, and watch some football. Popularity for wings soars during football season, as wing purchases increase from about 35% to 50%, according to several Long Island wings establishments. This demand for wings has caused the price of whole-sale chickens to increase to $2.50 a pound, which is nearly double what it cost 12 years ago. With more and more people offering wings as an option on their menu and the increasing demand, large wing distributors have been forced to offer more locations where their business can thrive. For example, the number of Buffalo Wild Wings locations has nearly tripled in the past 10 years. Another example brings us to Wingstop , who have doubled their locations in the last 10 years as well. Across Long Island, wing businesses thrive this time of year. The owner of two Wing Zone locations in East Meadow and Bellmore, Matthew Licht, says that he sees a 5% bump in business once football season starts. He even goes on to say that when the local teams are doing well, business goes up even more. However, in 2005, he learned a lesson. During his Super Bowl as an owner that year, Licht says he was overwhelmed by orders and the day was a disaster. He had to take to the local newspaper and took up a full-page advertisement apologizing to his customers. With his lesson learned, during the most recent Super Bowl, his two stores selling more than $25,000 in Bellmore, and more than $20,000 in East Meadow. Altogether, that's about 55,000 chicken wings. Another profitable wing business is Wing Over Farmingdale. Owner Jason Oliver said he sold around 45,000 bone-in wings and about 2,000 POUNDS of boneless wings during the last Super Bowl. The funny thing about this is that Oliver only takes pre-orders for the Super Bowl, and he runs out 24 hours in advance. He has also said that internet-delivery companies, like GrubHub for example, have helped boost his business 5% over the past two years. During football weekends, Oliver said that sales of wings go up to 45-50%. Almost all of these owners agree that diversity in the menu is a necessity. They need to what sells, what doesn't, and continue working from there, just like any other business. Some restaurants offer anywhere from 10-20 different sauces. Some owners even go as far as to putting their wing sauces on different menu options, like burgers or salads. Owners and customers agree on something too: wings are easy to eat while watching the game, and they go perfect with beer. They complement each other. Jason Oliver states "It's a party favorite and nothing goes better with beer than chicken wings." Another large reason all these people are rushing to restaurants would be the giant TV's they show the games on. Some people may not have the TV's these bars have, so watching the game that way is a type of experience for them. Wings are a staple at nearly any restaurant you go to, especially during football season. It's clear that football and chicken wings go hand in hand. Not only are they easy to eat during the game, but it makes the game more enjoyable being able to pig out on wings. Going out, getting food and enjoying a game is definitely an experience for any football fan. The rise in wing sales during this time of year should come as no surprise.