Case Study
Wing City Sports Bar & Grill x Chowly Platform
From Restaurant Rebrand to Real Results
+88.45%
Increase in 1st Party Digital Sales
After launching the Chowly Platform
+55%
Increase in Average Basket Sizes
After launching the Chowly Platform
$10,000+
Saved in Commission to 3rd Parties
After launching the Chowly Platform
"Dine-in traffic and profitability are what matter to us. The Chowly Platform gave us the tools to focus on what drives real business and filling seats."
Wing City Sports Bar & Grill opened in 2025 with a mission to deliver the ultimate sports bar and dining experience.
Led by longtime restaurateur Al Hauck, along with his wife Mary, the restaurant was built to serve the Bismarck, North Dakota community with quality wings, hand-pressed burgers, and a true game-day atmosphere.
After 17 years with a national franchise, Al—alongside his wife and partner in everything, Mary—made the decision to go independent. They rebranded and remodeled the business to better reflect their values and vision for the future. Wing City Sports Bar & Grill’s new identity centers on serving locals, creating a strong dine-in experience, and building loyalty one guest at a time.
Wing City Sports Bar & Grill’s new identity centers on serving locals, creating a strong dine-in experience, and building loyalty one guest at a time. With 45 TVs, lunch specials, and a Thursday happy hour, the restaurant is designed for the local community, especially the 35-and-up crowd they know best.
Community connection remains central to the mission. Through their MeanHurts initiative, Al and Mary strive to bring awareness to everyone to just be nice and to the growing bullying issues among our youth.
As Wing City Sports Bar & Grill launched its new chapter, managing online ordering, digital marketing, and online visibility became critical to attracting guests and maintaining momentum. Without the structure of a franchise system, Al and Mary needed a platform that would support his team’s goals and help drive sustainable growth.
That’s where the Chowly Platform comes in.
With first-party online ordering, a marketing website, branded mobile app, integrated Google marketing, email campaigns and a seamless connection to their Toast POS, the Chowly Platform shifted Wing City Sports Bar & Grill’s digital strategy to match its mission: put more guests in seats, strengthen margins, and build a profitable, independent future.
Challenge
Wing City Sports Bar & Grill opened with a clear vision: create a strong dine-in experience, build loyalty with locals, and operate as an independent brand.
Launching without the support of a franchise system brought new challenges to the surface.
Instead, they faced:
- Building brand recognition after rebranding
- High third-party delivery fees cutting into already thin margins
- Outdated, fragmented processes for managing online orders and updates
- A need to drive more dine-in traffic to strengthen profitability
- Managing marketing and digital operations with a small team
With first-party online ordering, a marketing website, a branded mobile app, integrated Google marketing, and a direct connection to their Toast POS, the Chowly Platform shifted Wing City Sports Bar & Grill’s digital strategy to match its mission: put more guests in seats, strengthen margins, and build a profitable, independent future.
The Shift
The turning point came with the decision to move away from the franchise model and build an independent brand.
The Chowly Platform stood out for its ability to streamline the digital side of the business by managing online ordering, marketing, and menu updates while Al, Mary and the team focused on guests and operations.
With a lean team and a clear focus on building dine-in traffic, Al and Mary were not looking for more systems to manage. He needed a platform that worked with the tools he trusted, like Toast POS, and could support the business without adding complexity. The Chowly Platform offered an integrated solution built for independent restaurant operators, managing online ordering, Google Ads, email campaigns, and a branded mobile app under one system.
Here’s how the Chowly Platform delivered:
- A custom-branded website Seamless POS integration with Toast for faster, easier operations to convert and drive direct orders
- First-party online ordering to reduce third-party fees
- Google Ads management to reach high-intent customers searching locally
- Branded mobile app and website to build direct relationships
- Ongoing support and upcoming loyalty program to deepen guest engagement
“The Chowly Platform helped us shift from a franchise playbook to our own. First-party ordering, a branded site, and real control over marketing — it’s exactly what we needed to build Wing City our way."
Today, Wing City Sports Bar & Grill has a stronger brand presence, more direct orders, and a streamlined digital marketing strategy that supports the goal of bringing more guests in the door and strengthening profitability.
The Results
While many restaurants faced shrinking traffic in early 2025, Wing City Sports Bar & Grill opened and focused on building a stronger, independent business.
Since switching to the Chowly Platform, Wing City Sports Bar & Grill has seen:
- +88.45% increase in first-party digital sales - Guests now order directly, cutting third-party fees and boosting margins.
- +85% increase in website traffic - Improved visibility through Chowly’s website platform and smart SEO tactics.
- 6.97x Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) $300 in Google Ads spend generated $2,089.64 in direct sales.
- Direct traffic became the #1 online source - Customers now search for Wing City Sports Bar & Grill by name, showing growing brand loyalty.
- Seamless integration with Toast POS - Online orders, menus, and updates all sync automatically.
- Mobile app adoption on the rise - Guests use the branded mobile app for easier ordering and loyalty.
- No more daily micromanagement - The team now spends more time focused on hospitality and dine-in growth.
- New loyalty program launch in progress - Streamlining loyalty rewards into a single system with Toast and Chowly.
- Two email campaigns sent monthly - Regular promotions like lunch specials and happy hours reach local guests more consistently.
“The Chowly Platform helped us get back to what we do best: creating a place locals want to be. We’re seeing more direct orders, more traffic, and better margins without adding more work.”
Conclusion
Wing City Sports Bar & Grill’s story is about building a sustainable, family-run business focused on local growth and profitability.
With the Chowly Platform, they have reduced costs, improved dine-in traffic, and strengthened their digital presence. For restaurant owners like Al and Mary, it was never about adding complexity. It was about creating a simpler, more effective way to grow and stay true to their vision.
Key Takeaways:
- Focused on profitability by reducing third-party fees and boosting dine-in traffic.
- Increased first-party direct orders through a streamlined digital storefront and mobile app.
- Integrated technology with Toast POS for faster, simpler operations.
- Built a sustainable, independent brand after moving away from a national franchise.
- Strengthened local loyalty through targeted marketing to core demographics.
- Delivered a better guest experience while maintaining lean operations.
