VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Get your wing orders in now -- Super Bowl weekend is here!
Homes across the country will have the favorite snack on the table as the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV.
With its three locations in Norfolk and Virginia Beach, The Dirty Buffalo is one of the restaurants filling wing orders in the Tidewater area.
"It is still one of our busiest days of the year," said Ryan Lynn, Founding Partner and Marketing Director for The Dirty Buffalo.
Lynn tells News 3 that, so far, the number of wings ordered this year is on par with 2020, despite The Dirty Buffalo not offering their typical deals.
Wholesale wing costs skyrocket for Super Bowl weekend, he says, and loss of revenue because of COVID-19 is making it more difficult to absorb that cost.
"We're just not doing as much business as we typically are. Our dine-in capacity is limited," he said. "We had to offer the wings at a regular price, but to offset the fact that we're offering at a regular price, we're offering the chance to win the free wings for a year."
Entries for the prize must be in by the end of the day on Friday.
Another difference this year -- The Dirty Buffalo is featuring just one new sauce for the game, a Kansas City-style BBQ with Budweiser, instead of two team-related sauces like last year. There are, however, team-related cocktails for dine-in customers.
The restaurant is still allowing people picking up wing orders to choose their timeslots. To get orders by gametime, Lynn suggests calling in by Saturday.
At the end of the day, the Super Bowl is still big business for restaurants like The Dirty Buffalo, both with carryout and people who decide to eat in. But Lynn hopes Super Bowl LVI looks a little more like those he's used to.
"The thing I miss the most about that is seeing the people that come in on a regular basis, getting the opportunity to interact with them (and) getting to know them. That's super difficult these days," he said.
To place a wing order with The Dirty Buffalo, call one of the three locations on Colley Ave. in Norfolk, E. Little Creek in Norfolk and Independence Blvd. in Virginia Beach.
