Wings and Rings is getting into the fast-casual business with a new concept called Noble Chicken. The first location will open early next year in the casual-dining chain’s hometown of Cincinnati.
The concept is designed to meet consumer demand for fast-casual options and offer a lower-cost expansion vehicle for Wings and Rings franchisees, the company said.
Like its parent brand, Noble Chicken will specialize in chicken, including sandwiches, tenders and wings. Sides will highlight regional American flavors, including hush puppies, Nashville hot coleslaw and Hatch chile mac and cheese as well as fries. The menu also caters to heat seekers with ghost-pepper flavored Fyre Fries and cheesy Fyre Stix. And for dessert, there’s deep-fried cookie dough, a nod to classic carnival food.
Noble Chicken’s restaurants will likewise feature a vintage Americana vibe with a modern twist, according to a press release. The aesthetic is embodied by the brand’s logo, which is meant to look like a biker patch.
Noble Chicken's logo was inspired by biker patches. | Image courtesy of Wings and Rings
Restaurants will have seating as well as a fly-through lane for customers who order ahead online.
Existing Wings and Rings franchisees will be able to apply for Noble Chicken units starting early next year. The company will then open up franchising to the general public in the second quarter.
Wings and Rings, formerly known as Buffalo Wings and Rings, was founded in Cincinnati in 1984. The sports bar concept is known for its wings and other chicken items as well as its onion rings. At the end of last year, it had 59 locations in 10 states.
The chain has closed some locations in recent years, and systemwide sales declined nearly 5% in 2023, according to data from Restaurant Business sister company Technomic.
Restaurants will tap into Americana with a modern twist. | Image courtesy of Wings and Rings
With Noble Chicken, it is entering a hot market for fast-casual chicken. From 2019 to 2023, sales at fast-casual chicken chains increased nearly 87%, making it the fastest-growing menu category within fast casual, according to Technomic data. Brands such as Wingstop, Raising Cane's and Dave's Hot Chicken have enjoyed significant growth in recent years.
Wings and Rings is also following in the footsteps of a number of full-service chains that launched limited-service spinoffs, albeit with varying levels of success. Buffalo Wild Wings’ Go concept is growing quickly, as is Texas Roadhouse’s fast-casual brand, Jaggers. But IHOP abandoned plans for its Flip’d by IHOP concept, and P.F. Chang’s has backed away from a takeout-focused offshoot, P.F. Chang’s To Go—although it is now trying a new fast-casual brand, Pagoda.
The scaled-down concepts give full-service operators a chance to tap new markets with smaller-footprint stores and more to-go options.
In announcing Noble Chicken, Wings and Rings indicated that it’s serious about the new concept and touted its decades of chicken experience.
“This isn’t some new brand from a group who decided to start a restaurant because they were bored. We’ve been making damn good chicken and running successful restaurants for 40 years,” said CEO Nader Masadeh in a statement. “We bring a level of expertise and passion that can’t be matched by other new brands. And we’re excited to take this enormous next step in the new year.”
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