With two locations in Sault Ste. Marie, Wacky Wings has been a longtime favourite with locals who love delicious food mixed with fun.
The two eateries, along with other Wacky Wings locations across northern Ontario, are owned by brothers Craig and Damon Burgess.
The brothers owned and operated Top Hat Billiards and Smokey’s tavern at one time. They sold those downtown businesses not long after establishing the first Wacky Wings location on Lake Street in 2008.
Opening Wacky Wings filled a big gap, Craig told SooToday.
“We’ve seen so many people love chicken wings but the only places in the Sault where you could get chicken wings at the time were bars. It seemed like there was a big void. There weren’t any places where entire families could sit down and enjoy wings,” Craig said.
The brothers wanted to create a place where people could enjoy wings but not feel the need to consume alcohol.
“Instead we made a place where you can enjoy a meal and it’s your choice to have a drink with it or not.”
Taking that approach was an immediate success.
“When we opened up we were extremely busy and we're still busy to this day,” Craig said.
“We have a lot of sauces that we've created for our wings and they’re our biggest seller obviously.
"We’re also huge with poutine. We have many different poutine combinations using a lot of the sauces that we use for the chicken wings."
Craig drew from his previous experience at Top Hat Billiards and has incorporated, at many Wacky Wings locations, arcade games for children and teens to enjoy.
The Burgess brothers opened a second Wacky Wings location on Great Northern Road in 2010.
With a Toronto-based business partner, Craig and Damon eventually opened more Wacky Wings locations in Sudbury, Mississauga, Timmins, North Bay, and Brantford.
The Burgess brothers now exclusively own the two Wacky Wings locations in the Sault – as they always have – along with the locations in Sudbury, Timmins, and North Bay as well as another new location in Thunder Bay.
They are currently in the process of looking for a new site for their Sudbury eatery.
Wacky Wings locations have thick wooden tables and chairs, the walls covered with fishing and hunting items and stuffed wildlife.
The brothers moved to the Sault from Midland, Ont. in the 1990s because they love the outdoors.
"We wanted to bring that experience to customers, that feeling that you're at a cottage or a camp, because it's our view that the environment you're in is equally important to the food or beverage you're having,” Craig said.
While enjoying success on the business side, Craig said it’s rewarding on a personal level to see families enjoy his restaurants.
“I have a couple of little ones of my own and it's especially gratifying when I see children not just eating but also enjoying the games in the arcade. I love seeing little children smile. It's the most beautiful thing.”
