Wing Stop gets late night approval to stay open

By Kevin Elliott

Chicken wings, fresh-cut fries and cajun corn-on-the-cob will be available until midnight in Bloomfield Township, following the approval of a special land use permit on Monday, November 14, at the board of trustees meeting, for Wing Stop at 1981 Telegraph Road.

Township ordinances require that any restaurant operating before 7 a.m. or after 9 p.m. needs to receive a special land use permit from the board of trustees. The restriction is to ensure late-night operations don’t disrupt neighboring residents or businesses, said Bloomfield Township Deputy Planning Director Andrea Bibby.

“We don’t believe it would impact traffic patterns or parking, and there are no impacts of noise or odor to the adjacent properties,” she said.

While Bibby said the midnight closure isn’t expected to cause any disruptions, Ryan LaPointe, who represents Wing Stop in the matter, is planning to disrupt the tastebuds of customers looking for meals later in the evening.

With Wing Stop offerings appealing to athletic enthusiasts and the post-event crowds, LaPointe said stores typically do 20 percent of their daily sales between 9 p.m. and midnight. As to whether the store could close earlier on weekdays – don’t count on it.

“If we close at 9 p.m. on a weekday, and there are high school athletic games that don’t end until around then, people can’t get there after the game,” he said.

LaPointe said the same for larger events, such as Monday or Thursday night football on television, which is often accompanied by offerings from Wing Stop. By maintaining late night hours, customers come to depend on the carryout restaurant for food when many others are closed.

“That’s something we do across the country,” he said.

Trustees were generally accepting of the extended evening hours, as the business is carryout and delivery only, doesn’t disrupt parking or traffic in the area, and isn’t likely to be problematic for adjacent residents or businesses.

Trustees voted unanimously to approve the special land use permit for Wing Stop’s location at 1981 Telegraph Road, with treasurer Brian Kepes and trustee Neal Barnett not in attendance.