According to Mark Lyso, the SVP of brand development at East Coast Wings + Grill, the North Carolina-based franchise has a certain strategy when it comes to entering a new territory.
"We start looking at where's the Lowe's and Home Depot," he said. "That drives people in. If it's a big-box retail center that has synergy, that makes sense for us."
East Coast Wings currently has one local location, in Bartlett at 2946 Kate Hyde Blvd. The brand is currently looking for franchisees to expand its reach in the area.
East Coast Wings was originally founded in 1995 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Enter Sam Ballas. He comes from a family of restaurant owners and was working in finance when he took over the restaurant in 2001. He began franchising the model in 2004 and greatly grew the brand. There are some 50 locations across the United States.
Lyso said their growth strategy is focusing primarily east of the Mississippi River. Since they've already planted the flag in Bartlett, growing further in the area makes sense. Now, it comes down to the real estate. They've been looking in Germantown, near the University of Memphis, Southaven, and Olive Branch.
East Coast Wings features an extensive selection of wings and drummies as well as nachos, salads, burgers, tacos, wraps, sandwiches, and flatbreads. The menu has 60 flavors of wings, along with seven heat indexes.
The brand puts distance between itself and Buffalo Wild Wings. Lyso said that Buffalo Wild Wings targets men between 21 and 35 who want to drink beer and watch sports.
"We are a family-driven restaurant. Yes, we have a bar. And, yes, we have sports on TV," he said. "But, we're not a bar bar. We're a restaurant that has a bar versus a bar that has food."
Lyso said that they've reduced the size of their typical restaurant. A smaller size means fewer employees, which ranges from 25 to 30.
In regards to franchisees, they have a few ideas. Perhaps it's an independent restaurateur who wants to stay in the business, but wants the marketing and supply chain support a franchise offers. Seasoned franchisees are another — maybe one who runs a non-competing brand who wants to maximize their profit. A third option is a businessperson with a good nose for business, one with capital.
Lyso said that many cities have laid claim to their own specific wings. But other restaurants selling wings doesn't really come into play when East Coast Wings enters a new market. If a consumer has loyalties for a particular place, there's no changing that.
"They're always going to come back to that wing joint/steakhouse/barbecue joint that they grew up with. There's a visceral connection. We will never get that consumer base, never. But it's also not a big consumer base," he said. "[Our] consumer base knows that they're not going to get someone yelling and screaming in a bar watching a sporting event, and they're going to find a good neighborhood place, where they can create wings their way."
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