Daphne / Alabama / United States
In 1981, the first Wings Sports Grille opened in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Bob Baumhower, an All-American from the University of Alabama and six-time all pro for the Miami Dolphins, decided to treat his Alma Mater to Wings. The concept, which started out as a counter service restaurant, grew over the next seven years to a four-unit chain of full service restaurants. From its inception Wings has been synonymous with quality food. The original Wings restaurants were conversions of closed restaurants, ranging from 2,000 through 3,500 square feet. 1992 marked a major evolutionary phase in wings history, as Bob opened the first prototype restaurant in an end cap of the Wildwood shopping center in Birmingham, Ala. This restaurant was 6,000 sq. feet, featuring an athletic d cor and 17 televisions. During the next five years, Bob closed the original four Wings outlets and built five of the prototype restaurants.
