Crying Fowl: Approaching the Chicken Wing Conundrum

2 Min Read By Wade Winters

 

"Ask the Expert" features advice from Wade Winters, Vice President of Supply Chain for Consolidated Concepts Inc. Please send questions for this column to Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine Executive Editor Barbara Castiglia at bcastiglia@modernrestaurantmanagement.com.

Q: With increasing demand and rising prices for chicken wings, what can restaurant owners do?

A: Football season is fast approaching and that also means chicken wing season is finally here. Any full service restaurant or bar that has chicken wings on their menu knows this is the time of the year when chicken wing prices go up, and prices this year promise to be higher than last year.

Chicken wing prices (jumbo) have been running around $2.05 per pound as compared to $1.55 per pound last year during the same period, and are higher this year as compared to last year based on a combination of reasons.  The primary reason is demand!

While there is no fast and easy solution to the rising cost of wings…