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Flocks of small, full-service chicken wing chains are taking flight in hopes of one day catching up to segment leader Buffalo Wild Wings, which is on course to reach 500 units by the end of the year while expecting to continue growing at a 15-percent annual rate.
Unlike the college-kid-oriented, bar-style restaurants of yore, most of today's wing specialists offer broader menus, serve less alcohol, and are positioned to appeal to young families and couples, as well as young adult males.
But most continue the category's sports-theme traditions, with buckets or platters of fried wings with spicy sauces.
Among the fledgling fullservice chains that have been growing through franchising and have set lofty expansion targets are Wings To Go of Severna Park, Md., with 85 units; Hurricane Grill and Wings of Stuart, Fla., with 22 units; Buffalo Wings & Rings of Cincinnati, with 22 branches; Ker's WingHouse of Largo, Fla., also with 22 units; and Wings Etc. of Ft. Wayne, Ind., with 12 units.
"What Buffalo Wild Wings did right was to start early," said food-service consultant Dennis Lombardi, an analyst with WD Partners, based in Columbus, Ohio. "The other...