There is little that Blue Springs doesn’t have – except maybe wings.
At 11 a.m. today, that will change, and you can thank Bill Wrisinger and Sean Tebbe, two local developers who are now responsible for bringing nine new friends to the city: atomic, cajun, original hot, mild, hickory smoked BBQ, lemon pepper, garlic parmesan, Hawaiian and teriyaki wings.
Bone in, boneless, served with or without fries, tasty coleslaw and bourbon beans – it’s all available at Wingstop, on Coronado Drive across the parking lot from Texas Roadhouse.
“We wanted to do a little something different, something that wasn’t competitive with Sonic,” Wrisinger, a main franchise owner of Sonic restaurants, said Tuesday. “And we thought there was a need for this. We love the food.”
Started in 1994 in Garland, Texas, the franchise has been successful with as many as 600 restaurants throughout the United States. In 2004, Wingstop became the only chicken wing restaurant to win three awards in one year: for hottest sauce, most creative sauce and another award for the original hot recipe.
The concept was a good fit for Wrisinger and Tebbe. Both are working to push the Parkway Place project forward, but that’s been difficult.
“It’s a different economy now than when it was first brought forward,” he said.
But Tuesday night wasn’t about what hasn’t been completed, only what has. People crowded inside to get a sneak peak before its opening. The new restaurant is reasonably sized, decorated with air flight memorabilia. There’s even a courtyard next door.
Wrisinger said he and Tebbe wanted to keep it simple – much how Wingstop’s founder, Antonia Swad, envisioned and later developed it. Back in Ohio, Swad noticed how Wednesday happy hours were busier than the other days. The reason was cocktail wings.
Fast-forward to 2010, and Wrisinger has capitalized on the wing’s popularity. Besides the Blue Springs location, there is only one other Wingstop and it’s in Kansas City. Wrisinger and Tebbe also purchased the franchise rights to the Kansas City market.
“We’re hoping to open another in Kansas City and one in Columbia,” he said.
Specials include 50 cent boneless wings on Monday and Tuesday.
Orders can be placed also by visiting the company’s website at wingstop.com.
