HARLEM — Two newcomers are set to fight for chicken wing supremacy on 125th Street.
A pair of wing joints are opening within 500 feet of each other on the same block between Lenox and Fifth avenues.
“It’s going to be the wing wars in Harlem,” said Jamal White, owner of Buffalo Boss and cousin of Jay Z.
The Brooklyn-based franchise is set to open at 17 West 125th St. in mid-July, White said.
When White was negotiating the lease months ago he had no idea that one of his neighbors would be Wing Stop on 63 West 125th St. He also didn’t know that there would be another chicken wing restaurant two avenues away.
“We put our "coming soon" paper up probably a week or two before they put theirs up,” he said. “And two blocks down there’s going to be a Buffalo Wild Wings. I think we were all kind of shocked.”
While their other locations only do takeout and delivery, Harlem’s Buffalo Boss will be a sit down place, he said.
Despite the proximity of his competitors, he is excited to expand his young chicken wing empire to Harlem.
“I think Harlem is one of those neighborhoods that are like the heartbeats of New York and we really wanted to establish our brand in the cool and interesting neighborhoods around the city,” he said.
The other restaurant, Wing Stop, is a national chain with locations in 38 states, including three in New York City. Other than the coming soon sign posted on their window, it’s unclear when they will open. They are currently remodeling the interior of the building.
The company, which was founded in 1994 and have sold 3.7 billion wings, did not respond to questions about when they would open.
No word yet on when Jay Z will visit the Harlem location. White said he usually orders delivery when he is in town.
"Honey BBQ, he likes that, he also likes it hot sometimes, it really depends on his mood and what he is doing," White said.
