TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – If you want to chow down on chicken wings while watching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV, a local restaurant owner says you should try ordering sooner rather than later.
“We’ve done pretty well so we’re just hoping to get our wings to everybody,” said John “Papa” Castaneda, the owner of McDivot’s Wings and Raw Bar in Westchase.
He told 8 On Your Side the available supply of wings might not be able to meet the big demand.
“Prices always go up,” he said, “but we’ve never had an amount problem. We’ve always been able to get the quantity we needed. This is the first time I’ve seen this.”
Demand for wings always goes up around the Super Bowl, but a wholesale supplier in Florida tells 8 On Your Side it is harder to meet that demand this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the poultry industry.
A sign on the door at McDivot’s lets customers know they should pre-order wings as soon as possible.
“Because our great Bucs are in, we’re doing everything can,” Castaneda explained. “Normally, we do 30 cases of wings on a regular Super Bowl. We were hoping to do 60. They’re telling us hopefully we can get 25.”
To save for Super Bowl Sunday, he is considering putting some poultry in the freezer.
“I’ve never sold a frozen wing here in 22 years,” Castaneda said. “But we want to make sure the locals get what they need.”
Castaneda told 8 On Your Side he is grateful for his loyal local customers and the success of every major pro sports team in Tampa Bay during what has been a challenging year for the restaurant industry.
“It was a bright spot in the black eye of this season with everything being closed down and not being able to even open our doors,” he said. “It’s really been a boost to us. Been fantastic. It kept us from closing.”
