Atomic Wings Adds Alcohol to its Menus

Since opening its first location in New York City in 1989, Atomic Wings has been serving up fresh and hot authentic Buffalo wings alongside its signature sauces and dips. Today, the franchise has over 15 locations across the country, with most in the central and eastern region of the United States.

This year, the franchise is piloting a new change—the introduction of alcoholic beverages to the menu. "At Atomic Wings, we push ourselves to be the leaders and innovators in our industry," says Atomic Wings CEO Zak Omar. "We’ve heard a lot of demand from our loyal customers to have the option to enjoy their favorite wings with a beverage of their choice that compliments the overall palette."

The alcoholic beverages menu, available for dine-in ordering only, includes a full list of mixed drinks, beer, and traditional liquors. "Beer wise, we offer a few tried-and-true domestic beers, but our focus is to empower local franchisee owners to customize their beer menus to incorporate local craft brews within their communities," says Omar.

The alcoholic beverages menu is being tested at the new Atomic Wings prototype location in Greenfield, Indiana, which is owned by Mike Harmon, Atomic Wings VP of Operations and an Area Developer for Atomic Wings in Indiana. "We wanted to develop a prototype location that will also serve as a training center for new franchisees," says Omar.

The new prototype location features an enhanced, fast-casual design and revamped interior design to incorporate various new materials including murals, brick walls, and Brazilian wood accents. According to Omar, the new design also "includes a dedicated station for pickup orders in response to the increased demand for third-party delivery services, as well as a new logo, lighting, and seating."

In addition to beer and mixed drinks, the Indiana location will also be piloting a spiked milkshake program. "Not many in the industry are offering such a unique option like a spiked milkshake, so we’re excited to be a pioneer in this and see the results from this new pilot," says Omar. "Our spiked milkshakes are made with traditional ice cream flavors, with chocolate and vanilla ice cream as the base. Currently, we’re testing four spiked milkshake flavors that incorporate complementary liquors, including: chocolate whiskey, banana liquor, espresso liquor, passionfruit liquor, and more!"

The alcoholic menu is also being tested at an Atomic Wings location in Long Island, New York, with a third location featuring a beer-only menu opening in Sioux Falls, South Dakota last month. 

"Early results across these locations look promising, and if these trends continue, we hope to expand this model across the Atomic Wings system," says Omar. "Initially, we'd like to see 15% of our sales come from alcohol sales. With these first locations, we’ve seen a high demand from our customers and positive reviews, especially with local breweries being featured on the menus. Wings and beer are always a great combination!"