Dickey’s Barbeque expands chicken virtual brand portfolio

Delivery-only chicken concept, Trailer Birds Hot Chicken, joins Dickey’s Restaurant Brands line up of other virtual brands, Wing Boss, Big Deal Burger and Barbeque at Home.

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Trailer Birds Hot Chicken

Delivery-only chicken concept, Trailer Birds Hot Chicken, joins Dickey’s Restaurant Brands line up of other virtual brands, Wing Boss, Big Deal Burger and Barbeque at Home.

Trailer Birds Hot Chicken offers Nashville hot chicken in a choice of Hot Tenders or Hot Chicken Sandwiches served alongside specialty tater tots and hand-cut fry options.

“If you break a sweat, then our Trailer Birds Hot Chicken mission has been fulfilled,” says Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. 

“We’re thrilled to begin another journey of offering one-of-a-kind items through our fourth virtual brand. If you’ve got a hankering for delicious, spicy chicken, tasty tater tots and crispy hand-cut fries without all the chicken puns, Trailer Birds is the place for you. Our cooked-to-order tenders let every guest dial in their personalized hot-chicken level of heat. We can’t wait for our Dickey’s fans to try our hottest offerings yet!”

Chicken virtual brands popular with consumers

In 2021, another one of Dickey’s Restaurant Brands virtual chicken brands, Wing Boss, showed high enough sales that the group transitioned the concept to a brick-and-mortar location in Addison, Texas.

The 1,500-square-foot restaurant features a full-service bar, ample seating, a hickory aroma and several TVs so that fans can catch their favorite game.  The Wing Boss menu delivers smoked and crispy bone-in or boneless wings with a choice of 12 signature sauces and rubs, as well as chicken tenders, salad, a variety of sides and desserts and more.

Virtual brands saw a lot of success during COVID-19, a trend that is likely to continue in a post-pandemic world. These delivery-only options operate within actual restaurants, but cook food that may be sold under a different name on third-party delivery platforms, like DoorDash, Uber Eats or Grubhub.

Since the onset of the pandemic, there has been an explosion in virtual brands, with everyone from Bloomin’ Brands to Brinker International getting in on chicken wing delivery options. More recently, Chick-fil-A announced the launch of their virtual brand, Little Blue Menu, and Wingstop launched delivery-only chicken thigh brand Thighstop.

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