El Paso's Wing Daddy's spreading wings with franchising

Wing Daddy's Sauce House's East Central location is at 1201 Airway. By the end of October, the owners expect to open the chain's first New Mexico location in Las Cruces, its third San Antonio location, and a third location in Mexico in Nuevo Laredo. (Rudy GutierrezEl Paso Times)

Wing Daddy's Sauce House, a fast-growing El Paso restaurant chain, has opened restaurants in San Antonio and Mexico, but its three owners are now ready to spread their wings even further via franchising.

"Over a year ago, we started the process. It's a long, complicated process to be legally franchisable," said Mario Southern, one of three partners who started the chain six years ago after jotting down their restaurant ideas on a napkin during a bull session at a local sports bar.

Wing Daddy's has found success in the competitive, and increasingly crowded sports bar and chicken wings niche.

But the owners don't like their restaurants labeled as sports bars.

"We're called a sauce house (the restaurant features 17, daily-made dipping sauces), not a sports bar," partner Ryan McNellis said last week as he and Southern drove back from Las Cruces, where they checked on a restaurant under construction there. "You would never take kids to a sports bar. We're a sports restaurant."

Wing Daddy's focuses on food (its extensive menu includes not only chicken wings, but ribs, burgers, and other fare) and on being family friendly unlike competitors such as Hooters, Twin Peaks, and Buffalo Wild Wings, Southern said last week. He sat inside a Wing Daddy's tucked inside a shopping center at 1201 Airway in East Central El Paso.

A bevy of female waitresses stood near the front door as the lunch crowd filtered in. Wing Daddy's has all-female wait staffs like many of its competitors. But unlike some of the competition, they don't wear provocative uniforms because of Wing Daddy's family-friendly mode, noted Gerry Lopez, Wing Daddy's district manager.

The chain has nine locations: Five in El Paso, two in San Antonio, and two in Mexico. By the end of October, the owners expect to open the chain's first New Mexico location in Las Cruces, its third San Antonio location, and a third location in Mexico in Nuevo Laredo. It also is about to begin construction on a location in Monterrey, Mexico.

The Mexico restaurants are part of a joint venture with a Jurez partner that Southern didn't want to name because of safety issues in Mexico.

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El Paso's Wing Daddy's spreading wings with franchising