The recent addition of new chicken restaurants, Guthrie's Golden Fried Chicken Fingers and Zaxby's, caused the UT strip to be dubbed a different name, the "chicken strip." In the short stretch from downtown Knoxville to the I-40 on-ramp, Buffalo Wild Wings, Wing Zone, Sawyer's, Zaxby's, and Guthrie's are some of the stand-out restaurants that offer wide varieties of chicken menu items.
Though students have a plethora of choices for chicken, many restaurants are not too pleased. The addition of more chicken restaurants means more competition between the previously mentioned franchises. This competition could possibly drive down the price of chicken items on the strip with new specials and pricing. In the long run, these chicken businesses will lose while students will win.
Though Buffalo Wild Wings reigns supreme as the overall, sit-down, alcohol serving entity, the other restaurants are serving Buffalo Wild Wing quality at a fast-food price. The only question is if multiple chicken restaurants can co-exist and profit with competition so close.
Each restaurant fills a niche that the others do not. Buffalo Wild Wings offers a plethora of sports programming in their complex, while Wing Zone offers a wider sauce selection and fast delivery. Sawyer's has tradition on its side, while Zaxby's has the lowest prices on the strip. Guthrie's is open until 3 am, definitely a hot spot for late night party-goers.
For more information on the "chicken strip," view the video or click the sidebar links.
Comments
Janice commented, on August 5, 2008 at 1:22 p.m.:
Guthrie's will be out of business first, primarily based on the apathetic and rude employees. The food is perfectly fine, but both the dine-in and drive-thru experience will quickly turn off new customers. Also, for a franchised business, it is surprising to see generic cups and food packaging. Perhaps they are just sparing expenses (along with no plastic bags with single drive-thru orders) to make up for the lack of business.