Basketball fans, start exercising those thumbs. We are in the thick of March Madness, which means TV remotes are getting a workout as fans click between dozens of high-stakes games throughout the NCAA’s most exciting tournament. And with that many games, why should fans stick with just one snack?
This year, Wings and Rings, the 85-unit elevated sports restaurant and bar franchise, is inviting fans to mix and match a variety of fan-favorite appetizers, offered in individualized portions so they can settle in for the long haul and sample a variety of items.
“When you’re watching as many games as fans do during March Madness, you don’t typically want to settle into one large entree; you want to graze and try different things,” says Linsey Case, Wings and Rings’ Marketing Director. “Our appetizers are typically sized to share, but this year, we decided to offer individual portions of our most popular appetizers so fans can try a variety of options.”
Those appetizers include pretzel bites and buffalo chicken nachos — two of Wings and Rings’ all-time best-sellers — as well as pickle chips and ranchero tots, which Case says are “a bit of an unsung hero.”
“It’s a really fantastic selection,” Case said. “Everyone is always ordering the pretzel bites and buffalo chicken nachos, so we knew we had to include those. But we also wanted to introduce items like the ranchero tots to a bigger audience. Those are not the first thing people tend to order, but as soon as they try them, they are hooked.”
Along with the March Madness offering, Wings and Rings is also rolling out the red carpet for its SMS rewards program, which it has been quietly refining since October.
“The text rewards program has proven to be a phenomenal value add for our guests, but we haven’t yet given it the full introduction it deserves,” Case adds. “March Madness is one of our biggest events of the year, so it’s the perfect time to show off the program to the biggest possible audience.”
Wings and Rings’ SMS rewards program offers customers who sign up for text updates a variety of valuable deals and offers, including a free individual-size starter upon signing up.
In its limited release so far, Case said the SMS program has already proven to be a big hit among the guests who have signed up.
“We are very careful to only send really compelling, relevant and engaging updates, so our guests are always glad to see the notification,” she says. “Once people sign up, they are not opting out, and we’re seeing a fantastic conversion rate in terms of bringing guests into our stores and taking advantage of the rewards.”
With its chef-driven menu of elevated sports bar fare and its vibrant, community-oriented atmosphere, Wings and Rings was already one of the best places to watch any sporting event. Now, with fan-favorite appetizers portioned for all-day grazing and a lucrative new rewards program, the franchise is the go-to venue for this year’s March Madness games.
