Wingers Restaurant & Alehouse is continuing to drive development across the Intermountain West with the recent execution of a new multi-unit franchise deal.
Wingers USA, Inc. CEO Eric Slaymaker announced today that the company has signed an area development agreement with Jeff Creer, Managing Partner of Vernal VW, LLC, to add new restaurants in Grand Junction, Colorado and Rock Springs, Wyoming to its pipeline. The Rock Springs restaurant is expected to be the first location to open in 2022.
A longtime Wingers franchisee, Creer joined the brand in 2006 and operated various Wingers restaurants through 2012. Most recently, in 2017, Creer teamed up with Wingers General Manager and Operator Eric Gunter to relocate and remodel the fast-growing casual dining brand’s Vernal, Utah location. After opening the new location under Wingers Restaurant & Alehouse prototype, Creer and Gunter have consistently seen a 120% increase in sales over their previous Vernal unit. Creer is now partnering with Gunter again to operate the new restaurants in Grand Junction and Rock Springs.
“My business background is in real estate, so it was very important for me to have the right general manager and operator who believed in the brand and wanted to grow it,” Creer says. “Foodservice is an extremely difficult space to navigate, but if you have a good operator, you can be very successful. Eric Gunter has been an incredible partner throughout my journey with Wingers. We trust each other, and we both have confidence in where this brand is going. Wingers has the best wings and sticky fingers in the business, but the brand has evolved beyond just wings. Recently, Wingers underwent a brand refresh, and it’s made a huge difference for the guest experience. With its revamped prototype and an extensive menu, Wingers is in the perfect position for expansion into Grand Junction and Rock Springs.”
“Jeff Creer and Eric Gunter have been key members of the Wingers Franchise Family for several years now, and we are very excited to see them grow and expand the Wingers Restaurant & Alehouse brand into Wyoming and western Colorado,” Slaymaker says. “Eric has proven himself to be an elite restaurant operator who can’t wait to take the Wingers brand into new territories. Jeff has also been a long-time partner of our brand, and his expertise as a real estate developer has set us up for incredible growth. When you combine both of their skillsets, you get an unmatched formula for success as they expand their portfolio.”
