Olathe opening: Popular chicken chain flies deeper into JoCo; its first franchisee isn’t just winging it
May 14, 2025 | Startland News Staff
Joe Finch got his start in the food industry bussing tables. This weekend, he’ll open his own restaurant in Olathe — capitalizing on the popularity of spinout success WingStand by opening the brand’s first franchise location.
WingStand Olathe is set to debut Saturday at 119 South Mur-Len Road, offering an order of free wings to WingStand app users at its grand opening event.
Click here to sign up for the WingStand app.
WingStand is owned by Lawrence-based Jefferson’s Restaurants, and is known for its quick, approachable dining experience and bold flavors. The restaurant offers boneless, bone-in, crispy, traditional, and even soy-based veggie wings. The menu also features Certified Angus Beef smashburgers and hand-breaded chicken sandwiches and tenders.
Click here to order or learn more about WingStand.
A spread of menu items from chicken spot WingStand, which also now boasts Certified Angus Beef smashburgers; courtesy photo
“WingStand is first and foremost a neighborhood place,” Finch said. “We’re really excited to connect with our new community in Olathe, and we couldn’t think of a better way than by sharing our favorite food: wings.”
Finch previously served as general manager of WingStand’s food truck and off-site catering services, as well as a stint at WingStand’s original location in Mission and a former location on State Line Road.
WingStand’s restaurant at 5438 Johnson Dr. remains a corporate-owned location.
A local to Kansas City, he worked his way up through the ranks of the restaurant business, from clearing tables to serving and hosting, then eventually bartending and management.
Michael Brown, director of operations for WingStand (and who oversaw the launch of the first location in Mission) is Finch’s operating partner in the new venture.
The new space at 119 South Mur-Len Road previously was home to Fire Jerk Grill Jamaican Cuisine and, before that, a Little Caesars shop.
2025 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Beacon analysis: Restaurant relief funds flowed to whiter, more affluent areas of Kansas City
Editor’s note: The following story was originally published by The Kansas City Beacon, a nonprofit, public-service journalism newsroom serving Kansas and Missouri. Click here to read the original story or here to sign up for the free Kansas City Beacon email newsletter. Local businesses received a total of $53 million from the fund, but few of those dollars flowed…
New ranking: How KC can break into the Top 10 Midwest startup cities (and why it hasn’t yet)
A freshly released ranking of Midwest startup hubs shows Kansas City maintaining its years-long position at No. 12, but warns — despite a few recent headline-grabbing wins — the metro faces the threat of stagnation without increased activity, startup reinvestment and government support. “You had to get more funding and big exits just to stay…
Blakk men are more than what you see on the 9 o’clock news, says members-only social club
Defining what it means to be a Black man is among the most important goals for a newly opened Midtown gentlemen’s club, Christina Williams explained, offering insight into what men of color are raised and called to be — but that society has often twisted into something unfair. “It has nothing to do with color. It’s…
Bodify joins Tulsa accelerator with $70K investment, ‘knocking down a lot of dominoes’
One of Kansas City’s most tenacious founders is in the midst of an intensive, six-month accelerator aimed at bringing her fashion tech startup to revenue without decreasing her ownership stake in the company. “Follow-on investment is nice, but you don’t have a company without revenue,” said Carlanda McKinney, founder and CEO of Bodify. “For me,…