1. f ra nchisee in action
E ast Coast
Tu tor Doctor W i ngs
Kings of Wings:
The Lucas Brothers Win with
E ast Coast Wings
“We just went for it,”
Seth Lucas, co-owner
of five East Coast
Wings restaurants says.
Purchasing his first
location in February
2009 with his younger
brother Jared, the pair
have since been taking
North Carolina by storm,
opening a new location in
each year to follow.
Growing up in Gaithersburg, MD, the
brothers have shared an interest in the
restaurant industry from an early age.
Parting ways through their college years,
Jared moved to Griffen, NC where he
began working as a salesman, all the while
his passion remaining in the restaurant
industry, with which he had been involved
since the age of 15.
After graduating from Chowan University
with a degree in Business Seth also joined
the restaurant scene. Employed as a waiter
in a local, full service, chain called Hams,
he quickly moved up the ranks to become
General Manager of the restaurant, which
also featured an onsite brewery. Enjoying
the lively atmosphere the industry offered,
in 2008 the brothers decided they wanted
to “do their own thing,” and began looking
into launching their own restaurant.
“We thought about doing it ourselves but
knew we if found the right company we
could do well,” Seth says. “The support
a good franchise will give a franchisee is
amazing.” Cultured with the knowledge
the pair needed to operate a restaurant, the
Lucas’ knew what to look for in a good
company. Then one day, while visiting
his in-laws in Winston Salem, NC, Jared
stopped in a neighborhood East Coast
Wings and was blown away with the
experience.
Sharing his findings with Seth, he too
looked into the brand and instantly fell for
the concept. Boasting a southwest feel and
furnished with dark wood and beautiful
bars, the art accented walls, televisions for
sports fans and dynamic energy create a
“high end” feel in the causal-dining wing
restaurants.
Filling out the franchise application and
piecing together the required documents,
the brothers felt the East Coast Wings
model was right for them. “We pulled the
trigger before we even had the money set
in stone, we figured we would go for it and
hope for the best,” Seth says.
After receiving the FDD from East Coast
Wings the brothers attended a Discovery
Day and worked a shift in an existing
restaurant to get a feel for the business.
Next was time to decide on their location.
Both wishing to open shop close to
where they were settled with their young
families, Greenville was the perfect
middle ground to get started. However,
at this same time Greenville was seeing
many new restaurants quickly rise and
fall, and the closest East Coast Wings was
located three hours away from Greenville;
both daunting factors. Nonetheless the
Lucas’ were not deterred from pushing
forward in the Greenville area. Opening
their first location in a shopping center
Franchising USA

2. equip with a busy movie theater, their
strategy was to bring people in this way, or
at the very least get their name out there.
“The first six months were tough,” Seth
explains, “East Coast Wings was a young
company at the time, and our families
were depending on us to do well. We had
a very soft opening, but in the long run
it helped us grow and was key to being
successful.”
Looking back on their run so far, Seth says
what sold the company was their winning
six-page menu featuring 75 flavors and 675
combinations of buffalo wings, burgers,
salads, sandwiches and more. Meeting
with Sam Ballas, CEO and President, the
Lucas’ immediately felt a family vibe
and admired their involvement with the
business. “At that time there were less
than 12 East Coast Wings locations, but
Sam set out to make sure we would make
money, not just for them, but for us too”
Seth explains.
Opening their second restaurant in May
2010 in Kinston, NC, the Lucas’ took
over the Hams location where Seth once
worked. The pre-existing building was
“Before opening we knew that as long as we were
hands on in the business we’d be successful,
but we weren’t expecting to be successful to the
point of opening a new location every year.”
a no brainer for the duo and was also
conveniently the city in which their
parents reside. In 2011 the Lucas’ opened
their third location as the first East Coast
Wings express unit. Located in Greenville,
NC, the quick service model was a small
venue close to the college campus and
offered a delivery service. Their fourth
unit opened 2013 in Goldsboro, NC,
a military town that provided a great
customer base for the business, and most
recently, the brothers opened their fifth
location in the small town of Washington,
NC. Throughout the five locations the
Lucas brothers manage 175 employees,
and the one-hour trip between their homes
and each restaurant allows for the owners
to be actively involved in each location.
“Before opening we knew that as long as
we were hands on in the business we’d be
successful, but we weren’t expecting to be
successful to the point of opening a new
location every year,” Seth laughs.
Since their initial training in 2009,
the process has changed immensely.
Comparing the difference in training
offered then and now as “night and
day,” Seth explains how today the steps,
procedures, and online courses for
franchisees is much more detailed and
intense. The new program is designed to
run 35 days and includes a mock kitchen
trial and cooking tests for every item on
the menu. As a result franchisees are well
equipped to manage their restaurants,
yet also have access to ongoing training
through unique software that allows
for both owners and employees to stay
educated with videos and tests.
Franchisees also benefit from the four
dedicated East Coast Wings committees
that cover marketing, menu, blueprint
and advisory. “The biggest benefit of
being an East Coast Wings franchisee
is the transparency between franchisees
and franchisors,” Seth says, explaining
Franchising USA
f ra nchisee in action
Page 41

3. f ra nchisee in action
E ast Coast W i ngs
how the company’s willingness to work
together when making decisions and
head office’s devotion to saving their
franchisees as much money as possible
is second to none. “The franchisors are
constantly cutting new deals with different
vendors and seeing ahead of the market,
and as franchisees we’re also included in
making important decisions,” he explains,
adding that the communication between
franchisees and corporate is astounding.
“It’s those little things that make me love
being a part of the East Coast Wings’
team,” he says.
As a part of the company’s marketing
initiative franchisees are actively involved
with their local communities. Sponsoring
various clubs and teams in their
neighborhoods, “It’s important to give
back,” Seth says, sharing how last year
their efforts helped a local basketball team
raise over five thousand dollars through
selling donated coupon books for a low
price with a high value. “This shows the
community that we care for our teams and
neighborhood, and also brings them into
the restaurant at which point we can share
our product and hopefully win them over.”
One of the most rewarding experiences
Franchising USA
“The biggest benefit of being an East Coast Wings
franchisee is the transparency between franchisees
and franchisors.”
the Lucas’ have faced since joining
East Coast Wings occurred a year and
a half ago when they settled a deal
making them the only Area Development
Representatives. As trainers for their
territory, which include several big cities
such as Wilmington and Virginia Beach,
the dynamic duo will act as an extension
of corporate and be responsible for the
training and support of franchisees in the
area. “We will be overlooking everything
from training managers and staff, to
helping franchisees in their first few weeks
of opening, and there whenever we’re
needed,” Seth says.
Along with the many highs the Lucas
brothers have encountered with the
company including various awards for
their restaurant locations and products,
Seth says one of the best things about
being an East Coast Wings franchisee
is that he’s home for dinner every night.
“Because of our hard work and ability
to successfully grow with the right
employees, we are now able to put a lot
of that hard work back into the business
financially, spend more time with our
families and be in control of our own
business,” he says proudly.
Jumping at the opportunity to recommend
East Coast Wings to anyone interested in
the food industry Seth says this: “Find the
thing that fits your lifestyle and learn about
it. Make sure it will fit in your city and
that the company fits with you personally.
All businesses are different and values
are different, so make sure it’s what you
want.”
As the brothers continue to expand with
their restaurants and raise their families
they’re feeling positive about what the
future has to offer and how they can grow
with the company. “We’re constantly
looking for new ideas,” Seth says, “It’s
been a fun five years and we look forward
to the next five.”
For more information:
Dan Collins, SVP Brand Development
Web: www.eastcoastwingsfranchise.com/
Email: dan@eastcoastwings.com
Phone: 954-263-2056