In America’s Capital, Lack of Wingstop Options Keeps Great Flavor Away

Story by La’Teaf Smith, Zyan Royal, Joyce Ndifor, Chyna Davis, Erin Calloway, & Enari West. Photo courtesy of Yelp.

Prepare your taste buds for an exhilarating journey, as we unravel a sizzling story of why Washington DC is craving one place and one place only: Wingstop. Although most people know Wingstop as a global brand that has almost 2,000 locations in America alone, it grew from a single idea. Antonio Swad and Bernadette Fiaschetti believed that wings should be the entree, and not just the side dish. There is currently no Wingstop in DC. There are only locations in Maryland and Virginia. Maryland, for example, has 17 locations, while Virginia has 30. Many people complain about the lack of Wingstops in DC and the students at Blow Pierce are furious.

Some might argue that we don’t need one of these restaurants in our city, since wings aren’t necessarily considered healthy. According to the nutritional information on Wingstop’s website, each wing varies anywhere between 90 and 120 calories. When looking at the sodium column, plain wings are the least salty at 30 milligrams, and original hot are the saltiest at 230 milligrams.

 However, there are already many unhealthy fast food options in DC, why can we not have delicious wings? Wingstop is known for all of their flavors and sauces. Due to its popularity, we decided to put the flavors to the test! We ordered a family meal that contained a 50 piece wing, 10 piece cajun corn, and veggie sticks with a side of ranch. Our least favorite flavor was Mango Habanero, while our favorite flavor was Louisiana Rub.

Wingstop isn’t the perfect restaurant, and for certain people it could be unhealthy and unsuitable, such as those who suffer from diabetes and high blood pressure. But if you can safely eat wings, and also love them, you should give it a try. Unfortunately, this can only happen if you have access to reliable transportation or food catering services. This is why we need a Wingstop in DC!

Enari West and Chyna Davis are seventh graders and Zyan Royall, La’Teaf Smith, Joyce Ndifor, and Erin Calloway are sixth graders at Friendship Blow-Pierce.