EVERY STUDENT MUST READ: NO MORE STUDENT MEAL. Wings Over was my favorite chicken place for over a…read moredecade, but a series of "cost-cutting" decisions by the brand makes me seriously question whether they understand one of their strongest consumer bases in Boston: students.
To be clear, at least from my most recent experience in Boston, those working in the restaurant are still as polite, cordial, and welcoming as ever. Service isn't the issue, the prices and offerings are.
Wings Over officially cut almost two-thirds of all its flavor offerings and removed the student meal. I am a student and used to be able to get out of there with a four-piece tender meal with fries and a drink for shy of $13. Now I'm paying nearly $18 for the exact same thing with fewer flavor options (they got rid of my favorite, Jet Fuel, along with dozens of other flavors and dry rubs). To make matters worse, they replaced the student meal with a limited time student incentive that they won't tell you about it when you order and which is only advertised on their social media: a free 5 piece boneless wing box (ranch or bleu cheese not included) with purchase of a drink going from Aug 31-Sept 13.
I was at Wings Over Boston today and asked for the student meal. They said they didn't offer it anymore, so I went ahead and ordered as usual and paid full price. Then I had a suspicion - many other places nearby have some promotion going on for students. So I looked on their official Instagram to find there was the 5 piece promotion going on and no one mentioned that to me when I was asking about a student meal. When I asked the manager about this, he said that I didn't ask for it and had to specifically ask for the 5-piece student special, so I wasn't entitled to it. We went back and forth for a moment, and he was kind and honored the deal and I thanked him for his kindness. To make this kick in the shins even worse, I had to eat today with only a fork and no knife because they don't have plastic knives anymore but that's beside the point, "cost cutting."
Most importantly, if a student walks in and asks for a student meal, the appropriate response should be: "We no longer offer that deal, but we currently have a student promotion where you can get a free 5-piece boneless wing box with the purchase of a drink." Instead, customers are apparently expected to somehow know about a promotion that isn't being proactively communicated in-store and ask for it specifically.
In fact, another student came in shortly after me and asked for the student meal. He was told they didn't have it and, once again, wasn't told about the promotion. Like me, he ordered anyway, clearly disappointed. I had to walk over and tell him about the deal myself. He thanked me and then asked for the promotion.
This should not be happening.
Students are going to be coming back to Boston this fall. They are going to see that Wings Over's prices are now several dollars higher than comparable options in the area, while the menu has fewer flavors and the student meal is gone. Eventually, they're going to stop choosing Wings Over.
I would genuinely rather go to Wollaston's, get a huge sandwich and a drink for under $10, and leave satisfied than pay full price for a meal I used to get at a significant student discount.
I'll probably come back while this promotion lasts, and I appreciate the manager making it right today. But Wings Over used to be a regular option for me. Now it's a special-occasion lunch.
I really hope the brand reconsiders these changes before it loses the student customer base that helped make Wings Over such a staple in Boston.
