Will we see chicken wing riots in Florida?

Warning… Floridians are becoming madder than hell. It’s not because there are no jobs; nor the fact that their homes are worth half as much as they were a couple of years ago. Nor is it because a concealed weapon is now the must-have accessory.

No it’s because the price of their staple diet….chicken wings; is going through the roof. And restaurants are soon going to be forced to raise prices.



In England a good Indian curry or fish and chips are food staples. In Florida it’s chicken wings; deep fried and coated in a variety of hot sauces ranging from sweet barbecue to blow-you-head-off atomic.

Floridians love their wings and they are not going to take kindly to price increases. A pitcher of beer and a dozen wings is high living in these parts. Remember the tortilla riots in Mexico and the rice riots in Asia well stand by for trouble in the sunshine state.

Nowadays every food-serving establishment serves wings. Recently all the pizza places, such as Domino’s and Pizza Hut, have added wings to their menu. And then there are lots of food places – I can’t call them restaurants – that specialize in wings such as Buffalo Wild Wings and Wing House.

Therein lies the problem. As more restaurants serve what is perceived as a cheap food, the laws of supply and demand have kicked in and the wholesale price of wings has gone through the roof.

According to the US Agriculture Department, the average wholesale price of wings in 2009 was $1.47 a pound, up 39% from 2008 and the highest it has been, adjusted for inflation, since the mid-1970s.

Restaurant owners though are not stupid - honest - and have hit on a wrinkle that may stop price increases of regular wings … boneless wings. These are really sliced up pieces of chicken breast coated in the traditional wing way. But don’t tell anyone.

These rascals sell at a premium to folks who don’t want to chew on cartilage and bone. For those who love that cartilage I am waiting to hear from the first non-Chinese restaurant brave enough to sell chickens’ feet. Yum.