McDonald’s Corp. has started serving chicken wings, but some locals say the new item may not fly in Gainesville.
Coinciding with the beginning of football season, Mighty Wings have temporarily joined the menu until mid-November.
Hoss Rice, a manager at Gator’s Dockside, said he’s not concerned about the competition because atmosphere plays an important role in attracting customers.
“The people that are going to go to McDonald’s for chicken wings are just driving on their way home and are like, ‘Man, I really want some wings, and I don’t have time to go somewhere good,’” he said.
Alexis Thomas, a 21-year-old nursing sophomore at Santa Fe College, said she doesn’t think McDonald’s poses a significant threat to existing wing joints because, as of right now, the restaurant only offers one flavor.
“I think if they switch it up and add original or buffalo, it will make an effect,” she said.
However, Thomas said she thinks the atmosphere doesn’t have as much influence if the food is good.
“The way your food is made determines whether or not you want to eat there, ” she said. “Depending on how hungry you are, you are going to want to sit there and eat regardless. All you are worried about is getting that food in your mouth while it’s hot.”
David Alexander, a 22-year-old UF telecommunication junior, expressed a different sentiment about fast-food wings.
“I think what makes the best wings is the quality of the chicken and how well they’re seasoned,” he said.
Alexander said atmosphere does play a large role in the settings in which people traditionally enjoy wings.
“You eat wings while you’re watching a football game, and you can’t really do that at McDonald’s,” he said.
McDonald’s is just trying to find a way to capitalize on a popular food that everyone enjoys, he said.
“I don’t think they are truly mastering the craft of chicken wings,” Alexander said.
A version of this story ran on page 3 on 10/9/2013 under the headline "Some squawk at McDonald’s newest menu item: wings"
McDonald’s has recently added chicken wings, called Mighty Wings, to its menu. The wings come in sets of three, five and 10, at $2.99, $4.79 and $8.99, respectively.
