More than half of consumers polled in a recent survey said they prefer boneless chicken wings over bone-in wings. But according to NPD Crest data, which measures consumer reported foodservice meals, almost 64% of all wings sold over the past year were bone-in.
“That represents a real opportunity for pizza operators,” says Keith Arnold, head of marketing for Pierce Chicken. “There’s a lot of room to grow boneless wing sales, and the good news is there are a number of things operators can do to tap into that opportunity.”
In spite of common perceptions, 56% of men surveyed said they prefer boneless wings (compared to 54% of the women respondents). Men do consume more bone-in wings than women but they clearly want the boneless option.
Not surprisingly, flavor was the number one reason consumers said they prefer bone-in wings, and it also ranked as the most important attribute for all respondents. Having quality product with signage and menu descriptions that emphasize the great taste of boneless wings can go a long way in driving trial.
The survey respondents said tenderness/juiciness of the meat and sauces available are the second and third most important product attributes respectively. Choosing a lightly breaded boneless wing product like Pierce Boneless Wing Dings® and Boneless Wing-Zings® allows consumers to taste the marinated meat, and allowing customers to choose any sauce from your bone-in menu will give them the customization they’re craving.
A higher percentage of boneless wings are sold on deal than bone-in, driven by the top casual dining chains. Steal a page from their playbook and offer discounts on a certain day of the week or during happy hours.
Parties with kids are more likely to order boneless wings and that number goes up significantly if the kids are 6 years old or younger. Adding boneless wings to the kids menu or to a family meal deal with pizza can result in increased check totals.
“QSR Pizza chains are top of class when selling bone-in wings,” said Arnold, “but they lag significantly behind Bar & Grills with boneless wings. We at Pierce Chicken are ready with the products and support operators need to see their sales grow significantly.”
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