Sept. 23--Pennsylvania-based Arooga's Grille House and Sports Bar will soon set up shop in the Chicago area, but it's uncertain whether its organic chicken wings will make the journey.
For the next month or so, Arooga's will test organic chicken wings with customers in Hershey and Camp Hill, Pa. Before rolling them out to other locations within the chain, the hope is to have a clear message about their preference, said Arooga's President Gary Huether Jr.
"With wings being our No. 1 seller, we wanted to make sure our guests are on board," Huether said Wednesday. "We don't want them to jump ship."
Why the hesitancy about making the switch? The wings aren't as consistently large as those sourced from birds that may have been treated with hormones, Huether said. Also, customers may also be asked to pay an additional 25 to 50 cents per order to offset the increased cost of organic, he said.
The meat is denser on organic wings, Huether said, and some prefer both the taste and the comfort in knowing the birds were raised without hormones, antibiotics or chemicals.
Increasingly, restaurant chains are moving toward healthier and more humanely sourced meat and eggs, pressured by food activists and shifting consumer demands. Mega-chains like McDonald's, Burger King, Chipotle, Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, Denny's and Applebee's have all made varying commitments in recent years.
Arooga's, a privately held company, currently operates 11 units, one of them a franchise, with plans to expand significantly in the next eight years through franchising.
Chicago could become its own regional market, Huether said. Two franchise restaurants in the Chicago suburbs are planned to open by next year, with Westmont, Morton Grove and Darien eyed as possible locations, he said.
The challenge for a sports bar chain is to introduce healthier ingredients while not jacking up prices, Huether said. About three years ago, Arooga's started moving toward "cleaner" ingredients by switching to beef free of antibiotics and hormones. It also plans to phase out wing sauce with preservatives and artificial coloring, he said.
"We see the importance of clean food and taking the junk out," he said. "If we can make (the organic chicken wings) work, it could differentiate us from what you find at a traditional sports bar."
gtrotter@tribpub.com
