Wild Wing Cafe sports bar quietly closes at Ayrsley Town Center. Here’s what we know

A Wild Wing Cafe in Charlotte where the restaurant chain is based has quietly closed.

“We are sorry to say that our cafe here at Ayrsley has permanently closed,” a sign on the Steele Creek business’ door posted this month states. The sign refers customers to other local Wild Wing locations at University, Gastonia and Rock Hill.

Ayrsley’s website still lists the restaurant as a dining option at 2132 Ayrsley Town Blvd., near Interstate 485.

The chicken wing sports bar was among the first retail businesses at the mixed-use Ayrsley Town Center. Ayrsley has 33,000-square-feet of office and retail space built in 2003, according to property manager New Forum’s website.

Wild Wing Cafes also are known for entertainment like karaoke and live music. Several artists performed early in their careers at Wild Wing Cafes, including Hootie & The Blowfish and Charlotte’s DaBaby.

Wild Wing Cafe and New Forum officials did not respond to several requests for comment from The Charlotte Observer.

It’s not the only Wild Wing Cafe closing in the Carolinas.

Earlier this month, Wild Wing closed its first store on Hilton Head Island, The Island-Packet reported. Last summer, a Columbia location also closed, The State reported.

At least twice, the Ayrsley location faced alcohol license suspensions by the N.C. Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission.

In 2004, the restaurant was accused of serving 12 beers to a 17-year-old who died in a car crash, and in 2018, the bar was accused of serving a man at least 17 shots of bourbon in four hours before he died in a car wreck, according to Observer archives.

Wild Wing Cafe had expansion plans

The Ayrsley restaurant closing comes just two years after Wild Wing Cafe said it planned to double the number of its locations over the next five years, CharlotteFive reported.

In 2021, Wild Wing Cafe had over 40 locations in eight Southern states. The same year, two stores opened in the Charlotte-area at University City and Rock Hill.

The company also went through a rebrand and menu update, and the Ayrsley location was renovated with a new bar, kitchen and stage, CharlotteFive reported.

Wild Wing now has less than 30 restaurants in seven Southern states, the company’s website shows.

The chicken wing chain is owned by Charlotte-based private equity firm Axum Capital Partners. Axum is co-owned by former Carolina Panther Muhsin Muhammad.

Axum Capital Partners officials did not respond to repeated requests for comment for this article.

About Wild Wing Cafe

The first Wild Wing opened in 1990 in Hilton Head Island, S.C.

In 2012, Axum Capital Partners bought Wild Wing Cafe. Four years later, Wild Wing’s headquarters was moved to Charlotte.

Along with the Carolinas, Wild Wing Cafe has restaurants in Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Tennessee and Virginia. Two other North Carolina locations are in Asheville and Raleigh.

This year, Wild Wing Cafe plans to open stores in Jacksonville, N.C., and Augusta, Georgia, according to the company’s website. Wild Wing recently opened in Dawson, Georgia, and Aiken, S.C., the website shows.

This story was originally published February 23, 2023 at 1:14 PM with the headline "Wild Wing Cafe sports bar quietly closes at Ayrsley Town Center. Here’s what we know."