VIDEO: 22 years after Hilton Head debut, Wild Wing Cafe sold
Since first opening in 1990 on Hilton Head Island, Wild Wing Cafe has grown into a chain of 32 restaurants in locations as far away as Virginia and Texas.
Wednesday marked the restaurant's most recent milestone, as original founders and owners Cecil and Dianne Crowley sold their controlling interest to Charlotte-based private equity firm Axum Capital Partners.
The Crowleys will still continue to serve as advisers.
"I never dreamed this would happen when we started that first restaurant in Coligny Plaza," Cecil Crowley said. "None of this would be possible without the good people of Hilton Head, who embraced our concept from the very beginning."
Financial terms were not disclosed.
"We would like to initially grow the brand to 80 to 100 stores," said Muhsin "Moose" Muhammad, a managing director at Axum who is known among sport fans from his gridiron days with the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers. "Eventually, we think Wild Wings could be a national brand."
Crowley said operations would not be immediately affected at its locations -- including those on Hilton Head and in Bluffton -- but that could change in the coming months.
"I'm sure there will be some changes at some point, but we haven't discussed them yet," Crowley said.
The Crowleys said they are committed to making sure the restaurant concept they developed doesn't turn into "some plastic group of chain stores."
"We will still treat our stores as individual, neighborhood hangouts," Dianne Crowley said.
Edna Morris, a managing director with Axum who has served as president of Red Lobster and Quincy's Family Steakhouse, was named interim chief executive officer of Wild Wing Cafe.
Wild Wing Cafe operates 11 corporate-owned restaurants and 21 franchised restaurants. Last year the chain generated about $100 million in sales.
Cecil Crowley said talks with Axum began in 2010. He said Wild Wing Cafe has many long-time employees, and the Crowleys wanted to make sure the buyer would be a good fit.
"They are like our kids, and you wouldn't turn your kids over to someone you don't have confidence in," he said.
Reporter Grant Martin contributed to this report.
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This story was originally published January 25, 2012 at 7:40 PM with the headline "VIDEO: 22 years after Hilton Head debut, Wild Wing Cafe sold <span class="icon"> </span>."