By Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor, Podcast Host Published May 07, 2024 at 11:02 AM

Today – Tuesday, May 7 – Wisconsin's first Wing Zone Hot Chicken & Wings will open its doors at 138 E. Capitol Dr.  That's in the River Glen Market Place shopping plaza, which is also home to Outpost Natural Foods Cooperative.

The quick service restaurant, which boasts 32 locations across the U.S., offers a menu of wings (marinated for 18 hours to ensure juiciness and cooked to order) with a choice of dry rubs (garlic parm, Nashville hot, salt and vinegar or lemon pepper Tajin) or sauces (Buffalo, Honey Q, Korean BBQ, Thai Chili, Zone Sauce and Louisiana Lemon Pepper). Hand-breaded boneless wings are also available, along with hot chicken tenders and hot chicken sandwiches available in four heat levels (plain, mild, medium and hot) as well as coleslaw and mac & cheese.

The restaurant is owned and operated by local husband and wife team Jodie and Matt Schroeder, whose backgrounds include both engineering and ten years of experience operating franchise pizza locations in Wisconsin.

Matt and Jodie Schroeder  (Photo: Wing Zone)
Matt and Jodie Schroeder (Photo courtesy of Wing Zone)
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“We’re thrilled to bring really fast flavor to Wisconsin for the first time,” notes Jodie Schroeder. “The speed that Wing Zone Hot Chicken & Wings can serve up hot, delicious sandwiches, tenders and wings attracted us to the name, and will do the same for thousands of chicken lovers in Milwaukee.”

Get your first wing order free

To celebrate the first Wing Zone Hot Chicken & Wings in Wisconsin, the store is giving away a free six-piece order of wings, valued at $15, to anyone who signs up for Wing Zone texts and sets “Milwaukee” as their favorite store. 

The Wing Zone Hot Chicken & Wings location on Capitol Drive is the first of four planned shops in the Milwaukee area.

Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor, Podcast Host

Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with each and every dish. She’s had the privilege of chronicling these tales via numerous media, including OnMilwaukee and in her book “Milwaukee Food.” Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. 

When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or recording the FoodCrush podcast, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.