02/11/2026
Our very last WingsDay
I like to start with the bad first.
Guys, Its been one heck of a ride. Over 5 years of learning and growing. What started out as a crawl in the middle of Covid, learning our systems and how to do this restaurant thing… Evolved into Getting up everyday and putting one foot in front of the other, until we learned to walk the walk…. And for a while we were running.
Then Came “Helene”…. A name that I will always equate to the worst few days of my life as a business owner. Like so many in the area, I was incredibly affected at work and home. I had to take out massive loans to get back on our feet and open the doors back up. The problem with loans and this industry, is that the margins are far too tight, and if the economy shifts and business starts to shrink….. well that leaves no margin at all.
This was a learning moment. A very expensive one. I had been warned about MCA lenders, and I ignored the warning, out of desire to re-open as fast as possible, and begin feeding a hungry community. But in business lending, if it happens fast……. Well it’s usually gonna hurt. This one did. A couple of crazy attempts to refinance and reconfigure, even an attempt to add another source of income, but eventually realising that the payments were bleeding us too fast, coupled with an overall 43% downturn in the industry… Its been tough!
So here we are…. We gave it our all! It wasn’t anyones fault. I’m not bitter and I’m not upset with the community or anyone. Our loyal customers have stuck by us for 1/2 a decade. We managed to find ourselves at shows and competitions around the country that our peers could only dream of. We’ve won countless awards. We’ve found ourselves in rooms with people that we never dreamed of meeting. We played our hearts out and we left it all on the field, and in the end…. The economy beat us fair and square. I can sleep at night knowing that we built a sauce empire…. One that has a legacy.
The future for The Marion Wing Factory is one that’s kind of hazy at the moment. We’re Working with our attorney to see what makes since. However, as of February 12th, 2026. The Marion Wing Factory will be officially closed. WINGSDAY February 11th, 2025 will be our last day open, And we hope to see as many people as we can.
Now for the good. And believe it or not…. There is a lot of that.
Our legacy, Our recipes, Our Atmosphere will live on!!!! None of our employees will lose their jobs, and as of now…. I don’t personally have to worry about waking up to my 20 year old Toyota being taken by a predatory MCA lender(Ironically the only thing I actually own). The best part of it all… the new owner said that she is willing to continue the support of local youth athletics and children’s programs in the community.
Factory 29 was the brain child of one of our longest running employees. The idea to take what we became so good at, and make it better, And to “trim the fat” off the remainder of the menu. To shrink our menu down to our best items, and make them better….. and hyper focus on a customer experience. She wants to create a place that focuses on community, Great food, Incredible drinks, and somehow include “cookie butter” in her menu. And we are super stoked to see someone as creative and driven as her take over our space. With 11 years of industry experience, from the very bottom to the top of the hierarchy ladder, she knows what she’s doing!
So if you can, Give her page a Like and follow. Maybe share some words of encouragement. Positivity is the beacon of light through this storm! And she could definitely use it!
I love you guys! Even the haters…. Because without each of you, we never would have grown into the machine we became. If anyone has anything positive to contribute, Feel free to comment!
And if anyone wants to help contribute to the mountain of debt I’ve accumulated trying to build the coolest restaurant in town, hit me up…. I can definitely use the help 🤣🙏🏽
My final request…. I really want to see the food industry in Marion thrive. The only way that’s going to happen is with community support. That’s not just spending your money there. That’s direct engagement with the management and owners. TALK TO THEM, NOT ABOUT THEM! If you have constructive criticism, ask to relay it to someone in person. If the service was bad, message the business or the owner, and explain what happened. Give them a chance to compete with the big guys, by helping them create a better product. Running straight to online reviews and bashing Marions restaurant scene on social media, not only is killing the local guys…. But it makes the bigger guys afraid to come. And before long all you’ll have is Bojangles and Wackdonalds. The Hartmans, The Noyes, The Phipps, and so many other families have sacrificed a great part of their lives giving to this comminity. They deserve better than a snarky remark on facebook.
This concludes my ted talk.
See yall at the grocery store ✌️🤣🤣🤣
