How to Run a Successful Wingers Alehouse Franchise: Building a Customer-Centric Culture

Since 1993, Wingers Alehouse has grown from a single location in Bountiful, Utah, into a beloved dining destination known for its handcrafted, made-from-scratch menu. Founded by Eric Slaymaker with a vision for creating amazing experiences, Wingers Alehouse has built its reputation on signature items like the Original Amazing Sauce and hand-tossed wings that keep guests coming back for more.

Beyond our mouthwatering food, Wingers Alehouse has thrived by putting community connections at the center of its business model, guaranteeing a successful franchise model. Each restaurant serves as a gathering place where families celebrate special moments, friends watch the game, and neighbors become regulars. This commitment to both exceptional food and meaningful relationships has guided Wingers through three decades of growth, including its successful 2016 rebranding that enhanced the dining experience while staying true to its roots. At Wingers Alehouse, every guest is treated like family—creating not just satisfied customers, but passionate advocates for the brand.

Understanding Customer-Centric Franchising

A customer-centric franchise puts the needs and experiences of guests at the heart of every business decision. This approach creates powerful connections between your brand and your customers.

The most profitable franchises today understand that customer satisfaction drives everything else. When you prioritize your guests’ experience, you naturally build loyalty, increase word-of-mouth marketing, and create a community around your franchise that makes success easy. This isn’t just about friendly service, it means developing systems where customer feedback shapes your menu, your marketing, and even your restaurant layout.

According to Zonka Feedback, a customer experience company, “companies with the highest Net Promoter Scores (NPS) in their industries grow revenue 2.5 times faster than their competitors.” NPS is a simple question posed to customers asking, “On a scale of 0-10 how likely are you to refer our company/product to a friend or colleague?” Those who score a 9 or 10 are the “promoters” of your business, happily spreading their delight through word of mouth.

Putting Your Guests First: The Wingers Approach

At Wingers Alehouse, the guest experience comes first through our signature food, friendly atmosphere, and commitment to creating amazing experiences with every visit. Our owners understand how to run a successful franchise, and that is that sticky fingers often lead to sticky customers—customers who keep coming back!

The Wingers Alehouse franchise approach to a customer-centric culture combines our famous Original Wingers Sauce and handmade menu items with a welcoming environment where families, couples, and friends feel right at home. Our franchisees succeed when they embrace this customer-centric culture wholeheartedly. From our affordable $12 Cheap Date Menu to our craft beer selection featuring local brews, everything at Wingers Alehouse is designed with the guest in mind. This customer-first mentality extends beyond the food, too. It’s about creating a place where memories are made, whether that’s a dinner night out with the family or enjoying the game on TV with friends.

When franchisees truly put guests first, they discover something amazing: happy customers become your best marketing team. They snap photos of their wings and beers, tag your location on social media, and bring their friends on their next visit. That’s the power of building a customer-centric franchise.

Traits of Successful Franchise Owners

Successful Wingers Alehouse franchise owners combine business savvy with genuine passion for creating amazing guest experiences. They understand that profits increase and flow in when customers feel valued and enjoy their time at the restaurant.

Running a successful franchise isn’t just about following a manual, though. We’ve found it’s about bringing the right mindset and skills to the table. At Wingers Alehouse, our most successful franchise owners share several key traits:

• Passion for hospitality: They genuinely enjoy making people happy through great food and service. After all, the customer is always right in matters of taste.
• Community builders: Franchisees connect with local communities and make their restaurant a neighborhood hub for fun, food, and connections.
• Adaptable leaders: The best owners can adjust to changing customer preferences while maintaining our brand standards.
• Team motivators: They work to inspire their staff to create amazing experiences for every guest. From the host to the waiter and every employee in between, the staff has a chance to shape an amazing dining event.
• Detail-oriented: They ensure consistency in food quality and service across every visit. Getting all the details right helps customers know exactly what to expect every time they come in.
• Customer listeners: Our best franchisees actively seek out feedback and make improvements to their service based on what they hear.

Building Your Franchise Community

The foundation of running a successful franchise is the community you build around your restaurant, including both loyal customers and dedicated team members who share your vision. Ultimately, this community you build becomes your greatest business asset.

Your franchise community starts with hiring the right people who believe in your customer-centric approach to running a franchise. Train them not just on procedures but on why putting guests first matters. When your team understands the “why” behind their work, they can and want to deliver service that goes beyond the basics. Equally important is engaging with your local neighborhood through events, sponsorships, and partnerships that position your Wingers franchise as more than just a restaurant, but as a valued community member.

Keep in mind that community building happens both inside and outside your restaurant’s doors.

That means:

• Creating an atmosphere where regulars feel recognized and new guests feel welcome.
• Using social media to showcase not just your amazing food but the connections happening in your restaurant every day.
• Reaching out to local schools and nonprofits for possible sponsorship opportunities.

Without a doubt, the strongest franchises understand that they’re not just selling wings and beer, they’re selling a sense of belonging to their guests.

Become a Wingers Alehouse Franchisee

Ready to create amazing experiences and build a successful community-centric franchise? Find out how you can become a Wingers franchisee and put your passion for hospitality to work! Visit our franchise information page today to take the first step toward building your customer-centric business!