New Tenant For East Side George Webb
Wingstop is setting up shop near UW-Milwaukee.
Wingstop logo. Image courtesy of Wingstop.
A popular restaurant chain is moving in on Milwaukee’s East Side, filling the vacancy left by George Webb, which closed in February.
Wingstop will lease the 1,950-square-foot building at 2935 N. Oakland Ave., according to recent transaction records from Founders 3.
The fast food restaurant, operated by ARS brands, specializes in chicken wings, chicken tenders, sandwiches and hand-cut fries. Its upcoming location would be the city’s fifth.
At the time of George Webb’s closure, building owner Ryan Pattee said he was seeking a national food and beverage brand to fill the space — ideally a modern, up-and-coming concept.
Though Wingstop is already well-established, with more than 2,000 locations globally, it meets Pattee’s criteria for a recognizable tenant.
Sam Herbeck and Tom Bruss represented Wingstop in leasing the East Side building, marketed as a “prime restaurant space.”
Founded in Garland, Texas in 1994, Wingstop has gained widespread popularity for its Buffalo-style wings, which are available in a range of spice levels and flavors like garlic parmesan, Louisiana rub, spicy Korean Q and others.
The company began offering franchise opportunities in 1997.
The previous tenant, George Webb, operated for 25 years, offering signature breakfast items, burgers, chili and more. The diner followed a unique schedule, operating for 23 hours and 59 minutes each day, seven days a week.
In the months leading up to its closure, however, George Webb shortened its hours due to staffing shortages, according to online comments from franchisee Thomas Aldridge.
The upcoming Wingstop would be located on a stretch of Oakland Avenue near the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus, in a mixed residential and commercial neighborhood with plentiful foot traffic.
Another chicken wing restaurant, Buffalo Wild Wings, has a takeout-only location on the same block.
Wingstop has additional Milwaukee locations on Good Hope Road, Capitol Drive, Milwaukee Street and S. 15th Street.
The East Side location will require city approval before it can open.
A representative of Wingstop did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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