National wing chain to make debut in region this summer

Award-winning chicken wing franchise Wing It On! is coming to Tampa — with plans to open its first restaurant in the region by this summer.

The new Tampa franchise will be the second Wing It On! location in Florida — the other is in Mount Dora in Central Florida’s Lake County — and is part of a broader push to expand throughout Florida and the Southeast, according to parent company Craveworthy Brands.

“Tampa has a serious appetite for bold flavors, and Wing It On! is ready to deliver,” said Matt Ensero, Co-founder and Brand President of Wing It On!. “Building on our success in Mount. Dora, this location brings our award-winning sauces, flavor-packed crispy chicken and champion-level guest experience to a community that loves craveworthy eats.”

The Tampa restaurant will be operated by Jignesh Patel, a franchise operator with more than two decades in foodservice and retail operations. Patel’s has previously owned and operated a deli, a network of gas stations and convenience stores and multiple quick-service restaurants. He currently oversees several franchised restaurants in the area, the release says.

Craveworthy brands, which owns multiple restaurants including Shaquille O’Neal-founded Big Chicken, has yet to announce a site for Tampa’s Wing It On! location, or an exact opening date.

A four-time champion at the National Buffalo Wing Festival, Wing It On! Is known for its crispy wings, award-winning sauces and fresh, house-made dips. The restaurant offers more than 20 unique sauces and rubs in addition to handcrafted chicken sandwiches and side dishes including loaded fries.

Wing It On! Was founded in 2011 by Ensero in his hometown of Waterbury, Connecticut and has since expanded across the country, with at least 13 locations operating across eight states including North Carolina, New Jersey and Illinois. As of 2023, another 17 franchise locations had been sold and were in development, according to Craveworthy Brands’ website, expanding its presence in states including Florida, Georgia and Texas.

The company’s model emphasizes off-premises dining, a key factor for franchise scalability, the company says. Wing It On!’s model supports mobile ordering and digital loyalty programs, as well as a menu compatible with “virtual kitchens” — cooking facilities set up exclusively for delivery and takeout without a traditional storefront or dining area.

“Wing It On! is entering the Tampa market with its gloves up and its team locked in,” Sam Stanovich, SVP of Franchise Development at Craveworthy says in the release.