Started as a food truck by fraternity brothers at University of Louisiana Lafayette, KOK Wings & Things is preparing to open its fourth brick-and-mortar location at 3221 Ambassador Caffery Pkwy. in Lafayette. Chief marketing officer and co-founder Tre’Jan Vinson recently told What Now New Orleans that popular, house-made sauces helped his wing spot to stand up to strong competition from much bigger brands.
“With Buffalo Wild Wings, Wingstop, and Popeyes, we have a different flavor profile than they do,” he said. “So, you can identify our product separate from those other products, and I think that’s really where we stand out in the market.”
In addition to existing locations in New Iberia, Baton Rouge, and Lafayette, KOK Wings & Things also has several mobile food trucks that operate in the region. The new location will be in a former Hooters that will be converted into a fast-casual restaurant with counter service. Vinson said the company had tried sit-down concepts at previous locations, but COVID forced people into different dining patterns, and one location switched to a fast-casual model…