Starting a Restaurant? Head Back to School

Wing Zone were recently featured in an article on Web.com titled, "Starting a Restaurant? Head Back to School". The article, a new restaurant trend series on Web.com, focused on the trend of opening restaurants on college campuses to have built in business and employees. Wing Zone's CEO Matt Friedman talks about the advantages of being located on or near a college campus. You can read the article here or begin below.


"Starting a Restaurant? Head Back to School"
By Rieva Lesonsky

Thinking of starting a restaurant? College campuses are proving profitable for these three concepts.

Winging It

Millennials have changed their dining-out habits - and it's not good news for restaurant owners. According to a study by research group NPD, younger Millennials (ages 18 to 24) "made 27 fewer visits (per person) to restaurants between 2009 and 2012," though this has ticked up a bit in the last two years.

There are a few bright spots, however. The first is in the fast-casual sector, where fresh food and friendly services are attracting younger Millennials.

Another positive sign can be seen on college campuses. If you own a restaurant (or want to) you might think a campus location is the last place you'd want to be. After all, how much can students spend on food?

For Matt Friedman, the CEO of Wing Zone, who co-founded the chain in a fraternity house at the University of Florida, being located on or near a college campus is smart business. There are currently 14 "college" Wing Zones, with plans "to open at least 10 more within the next 18 months."

Wing Zones on campus (and the company's military locations) are, says Friedman, "the best performers within our system" with average ticket prices the same as non-college locations.

Click here to read the entire article.