Valley restaurants feeling chicken wing price pinch
Jan 25, 2013, 5:00 AM | Updated: 8:03 am
PHOENIX — Super Bowl parties may see a different menu this year: chicken wing prices have hit a record high.
Wing prices are up 14 percent from last year to a record $2.11 per pound, not because of a shortage, but because demand is high.
Some are concerned that the high wing prices could hurt restaurants in the short term and A.J. Sulka with Majerle’s in downtown Phoenix said they’re definitely feeling the pinch.
“They’re getting more expensive, we’ve definitely felt that but you can’t budget on that you have to keep the price fair. If we have to spend more through our vendor to get wings, that’s just part of doing business.”
It doesn’t seem that long ago that wings were just an appetizer and now they’re a staple of menus.
“It’s amazing,” said Sulka. “I talk to people from Buffalo, where the chicken wing is from, and we get a kick out of how it was before wings were such a big part of normal everyday menus.”
The National Chicken Council says Americans will eat almost 1.25 billion chicken wings on Super Bowl Sunday.
