Second Wings Etc. in West Virginia Planned Ahead of Anticipated Regional Growth

The franchisees seek to create a community gathering space for St. Marys schools’ sports teams, fans and families.

ST. MARYS, W.Va. — Wings Etc. Grill & Pub is set to open a new location in St. Marys, West Virginia, in June 2025. Chad Winebrenner, who with the PM Company launched the first Wings Etc. restaurant in West Virginia in March 2022, will also oversee the state’s second location at 1006 2nd St., Unit C, St. Marys, WV 26107.

The new restaurant will offer family-friendly dining, a local gathering space for teams and fans, and a strong commitment to community engagement. At 3,500 square feet and with seating for 140, the business is a major addition in a town with limited dining options. The restaurant is expected to bring 50 to 60 jobs to the area.

The new St. Marys location will have a pickup window, critical in an area with minimal third-party delivery support. It will include patio seating, and more than 30 TVs will be tuned to the season’s hottest sporting events. The menu will feature the brand’s ever-popular pretzel bites and Wings Etc.’s award-winning boneless and traditional wings with 22 sauces and rubs; the bar will have 16 beers on tap.

Winebrenner, an executive chef, and Pat Minnite, principal in the PM Company, a family-owned Mid-Ohio Valley real estate development and property management firm, are opening the St. Marys location. It will be part of multi-tenant strip center that will include WVU Medicine Camden Clark Medical Center’s new Rapid Care and Specialty Care Clinic.

“There’s a large amount of growth in the area. Our parent company is a property management company, so we are optimistic about the future of the area,” Winebrenner said.

By cultivating community among the city’s schools, the partners’ Vienna restaurant flourished. The business group intends to foster the same sort of atmosphere in St. Marys, offering discount cards to staff and families at the elementary school, middle school and high school.

They also intend to continue their commitment to giving back via the Dine to Donate program. Through this initiative, individuals, families and groups have come together to enjoy delicious meals at Wings Etc.’s Vienna location, knowing that a percentage of the day’s sales would be donated to a worthy cause. The effort has raised thousands of dollars for various area charities, nonprofit organizations and kids’ sports teams in Vienna.

“The Wings Etc. brand thrives when passionate, community-focused franchisees bring their local expertise and dedication to the table,” said Wings Etc. CEO Rob Hensmann. “Chad and his team have built a strong following at their Vienna location by creating a welcoming space where guests and the community feel at home. Their expansion into St. Marys reflects their commitment to thoughtful growth, and we look forward to seeing them bring the Wings Etc. experience to even more guests in West Virginia.”

As a chef, Winebrenner brings a multifaceted understanding of restaurants to the Wings Etc. franchises. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, he’s worked in fine dining steakhouses and country clubs. Before his role as chef at Grand Pointe Conference and Reception Center in Vienna, he worked for Compass Group, the world’s largest family of foodservice and facilities services companies, as executive chef of dining services for locations such as the international home offices of Abercrombie & Fitch and the Wendy’s Co.

Since fall 2024, in addition to his work at Grand Pointe, Winebrenner also has been a part of the culinary team for Wings Etc.

“This has allowed me to voice my opinions and get involved with the back-of-house side of things,” he said.

Grand opening promotions are expected to include free wings for a year for the first 50 dine-in guests (ages 18 and up); further details are to come.

Winebrenner said their second Wings Etc. location likely will not be their last. He values the unique blend of support and autonomy that the brand’s corporate partners offer.

“I was very appreciative that they let us market our store and steer our ship the way that we saw fit for our location,” he said. “We’ve been allowed to really make it ours, and I appreciate that tremendously.”

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About Wings Etc. Grill & Pub

Founded in 1994 by Jim Weaver in northern Indiana, Wings Etc. is a family-friendly grill and pub featuring award-winning jumbo Buffalo wings, 22 signature sauces and rubs, dozens of TVs tuned to sports programming and a casual, non-corporate-y, laid-back vibe that makes people want to just come in and hang out. See wingsetc.com.

With more than 80 corporate and franchise locations, Wings Etc. has enjoyed more than 30 years of successful franchise growth. Wings Etc. has been listed among Entrepreneur magazine’s “Top 500 Franchises” and was included in the magazine’s “Top Chicken Franchises” in 2024. It has been named one of Franchise Business Review’s “Top Food Franchises” and a “Top 200 Franchise.” Wings Etc. has been included in Franchise Gator’s “Top 100 Franchises” and its “Fastest Growing Franchises”; it was among the “Top Emerging Franchises” in 2023. It has been named a “Top 400 Franchise” by Franchise Times every year since 2021 and a “Top 500 Franchise” by Nation’s Restaurant News every year since 2021. Wings Etc. has also been awarded “Best Wings” in multiple markets. See www.wingsetcfranchise.com.

The Wings Etc. Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, is dedicated to improving children’s lives. Learn more at wingsetcfoundation.com.

©2025 Wings Etc., Inc. Franchises independently owned and operated.