Will two competing wing restaurants fly in Boise? Chain plans to find out.

If you’re a wing nut, life is about to get spicier.

Wingstop plans to open its first restaurant inside Boise city limits. The Texas-based chain has filed paperwork to make $175,000 in improvements at 1575 N. Milwaukee St., the former home of Sub Zero Ice Cream. The location is slated to open in spring 2021, according to Anthony Perez, the company’s opening field marketing manager.

Buffalo Wild Wings is the current Boise wing boss. It’s had a downtown location at 777 W. Main St. since 2016.

Consequently, Wingstop might not want to count those chickens before they hatch. When it comes to supporting more than one wing joint, Boise is nothing to crow about. Arizona-based Native Grill & Wings closed in 2018, a year after it opened at 7700 W. State St.

Still, Buffalo Wild Wings and Wingstop both already operate restaurants in Meridian and Nampa.

Why not Boise?

With the coronavirus pandemic increasing focus on takeout and delivery, Wingstop appears to be positioning itself to succeed. It’s not exactly playing chicken with Buffalo Wild Wings; the planned restaurant is miles away from downtown Boise. And at 1,730 square feet, it’s not a huge space. Roomier sports bars in the Buffalo Wild Wings and Native Grill & Wings tradition face a dicier survival proposition. Wingstop’s model also focuses primarily on takeout and delivery — including free delivery through Nov. 13.

In part, success in Boise could boil down to: Who cooks superior wings?

Food website Mashed recently published an article titled “Wingstop versus Buffalo Wild Wings: Which is better?”

Their answer: It comes down to personal preference. The write-up also posed the possibility that neither serves the best wings. Those are probably on the menu at a local restaurant or bar.

Still, in a ranking of chain wings, Mashed handed Wingstop the top slot overall, and gave Buffalo Wild Wings third place for its mango habanero style. (I’m not a big fan of Buffalo Wild Wings, but those mango hab wings are the tastiest on the menu.)

What do think, wing junkies? Will Boise support two dedicated wing joints long-term? And where are the best wings served in the Treasure Valley?

This story was originally published November 9, 2020 at 4:00 AM.