Empire Wingz, a Baton Rouge chicken joint, is spreading its wings to Gonzales.
After Ascension Parish received the highest amount of votes on owner Vic Smith’s Instagram poll, he signed a lease last week to open a fourth location this fall at 705 S. Burnside Avenue near East Ascension High School.
Smith predicts the building renovations will take up to two months and plans to open the restaurant in October or November. The wing spot will feature a dine-in area and bar. Smith will hire around 25 employees to work as cashiers, bartenders, line preps, fry cooks, shift team leaders, as well as a store manager.
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Smith has big plans for the future of his brand. In addition to its upcoming Gonzales location, Empire Wingz has restaurants on East Boyd Drive, Scenic Highway and South Sherwood Forest Boulevard. After Gonzales, Smith plans to expand to Zachary, New Orleans and Houston. Before opening his New Orleans location, he plans to station a food truck in the Crescent City as a way to gauge the temperature of what the customers in that region want.
Next year, he is preparing to franchise Empire Wingz and potentially partner with former LSU football players to open their own wing spot.
This story originally appeared in an Aug. 28 issue of Daily Report. To keep up with Baton Rouge business and politics, subscribe to the free Daily Report e-newsletter here.