Page 125 - BWA FEB 2013

February 2013 | Business World Magazine | 125
talent from young, up-and-coming bands,
and we’re happy to do that. We don’t do it
every day, but our food and quality, and the
business we get from the lunch crowd has al-
lowed us to bring bands in at night, and it
has become integral to what we do.”
Those musical performances can come
from well-known acts to those dreaming
of making a name in the music industry.
Last year, a girl who performed publically
for the first time at Wild Wing Cafe went
on to become one of the Top 5 finalists on
American Idol. What’s more, before earning
their Grammy Award for “Best New Artist,”
the band known as Hootie & The Blowfish
got their start by performing to the wing-
crunching crowd at Wild Wing Cafe.
And though the music adds measures
of merriment, Leonardo affirms that the
menu is what really keeps people coming
back. “You can’t have a successful business
model if you only focus on good times. The
fact that our sauces are homemade, that our
chicken isn’t frozen, that our products are
prepared fresh every day... this is what makes
a difference. Quality food always brings peo-
ple back to table. If it wasn’t for quality food
the other components of business wouldn’t
be able to sustain itself,” he says.
QUALITY PEOPLE/QUALITY
PRACTICES
To the degree that Wild Wing Cafe has
differentiated itself from the competition,
Leonardo says similar emphasis has been
made in differentiating a business model
that can empower potential candidates to
successfully operate their own franchise.
He says the company is most interested in
connecting with those who possess family
values, who are interested in making a ben-
eficial difference in the communities where
they live, who understand and thrive on cus-
tomer service, but not just in the sense of
dining guests, but hired staff too. Leonardo
explains that there can be as many 30 to 50
staff at each location, so candidates must be
adept at working with teams, which some-
times include young people working at their
first job.
Typical investment in the franchise,
which is very dependent on size of location,
can range from $800,000 to $1.5 million.
But for that, franchisees are not left alone
with merely a wing and a prayer for their suc-
cess. The company has amassed a variety of